What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001) Reviews

• Who will be the Lord Of The Ring?

  jimbo7002004-05-20

  Generally speaking, I agree with the masses on the IMDb but in this case I must protest. This movie deserves a much higher rating than a 5. I would personally give it a 7. After viewing several mundane comedies, I found "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" to be refreshing. A quick summary of the plot: Kevin Caffrey (Martin Lawrence) attempts to burglarize billionaire Max Fairbanks' (Danny Divito) home. Max turns out to be in the house and holds Kevin at gunpoint until the police arrive. He then tells the cops that the ring on Kevin's hand belongs to him and the cops force Kevin to cough it up. The problem is that Kevin's new girlfriend had just given it to him. The rest of the movie deals with Kevin trying to get the ring back. Danny DeVito is hilarious and this is my favorite Martin Lawrence movie yet. The plot is original and I thought the supporting actors were great. I would have given William Fichtner a bit more of a roll. He really had little to do with the plot yet I found his portrayal of gay Detective Alex Tardio to be one of the funniest parts of the movie. I read the book and will admit that the book's ending is a bit more satisfying but not a major issue. I have never seen a group of criminals and scoundrels more likable than the group in the movie. Everyone in the movie; the thief, the rich guy, the politicians, the judges and everyone in the periphery seems to be morally depraved. I guess that is what makes this movie so funny. If you enjoyed "Blue Streak" then you're going to love "What's the Worst That Could Happen?".

• Simple, good fun

  conjunctionfilms2001-06-03

  I read Donald E. Westlake's novel "What's The Worst That Could Happen?" prior to seeing the new movie. This is something I think moviegoers should do, read the book and go to see the movie to compare and contrast. The book is full of rich, comical characters as is the movie, but there are differences. The film stars Martin Lawrence as Kevin Caffery, a suave, intelligent thief who often cases art auctions for new prizes to steal. However his partner named Berger (John Leguizamo) lets him in a score at a mansion owned by Max Fairbanks, a wealthy businessman (Danny DeVito) who is going bankrupt. The two thieves break in the house and DeVito catches Lawrence and steals his prized ring his girlfriend gave him. He is then bent on revenge and out to get it back. The plot is basic and works well and the film is smart, funny and actually even silly. Most "silly movies" get trashed and aren't given credit for trying to make us laugh a bit. "What's The Worst That Can Happen" has a good amount of intelligence to it but also has a good amount of summer movie silliness and it fits and works in a comedy that is well made and very entertaining. Give it chance and it might work for you. Costars Glenne Headly, Nora Dunn, Bernie Mac, William Fichtner, Richard Schiff, Larry Miller and Ana Gasteyer.

• Not great, but certainly watchable

  YassenJ2002-10-09

  Well, what can I say? It's not the best Martin Lawrence film and its not even one of the top 20 best Danny De Vito films (isn't this little guy one of the biggest comic actors of our time!) but it's a nice comedy, good to rent on video or watch on TV. Basically the plot is not very imaginative and the movie relies mostly on the actors performances. So I'll concentrate on them in this review. Here it goes: De Vito is perfect as always. Noone could play the part of the complacent billionaire better than him! He does the best he can do with the material he's given, but his talent could have been used more appropriately if the writers had done a better job... Martin Lawrence also playes one of his usual parts, quite similar to the part he played in Blue Streak. He does everything expected from him, including getting in disguise more than once and producing some Eddie Murphy-style jokes. But seeing Black Knight and now this, one may ask: isn't he repeating himself too much now? Sure he's funny, but he's also getting annoying to more and more people... We also have some good-loking actresses, especially the lady playing Lawrence's girlfriend. Their parts are unfortunately too brief to be memorable. Oh,yes, there's also William Fichtner playing one of the weirdest detectives in the history of cinema! Am I the only one who thinks he was doing a parody of Willem Defoe's character in The Boondock Saints?? As far as the plot, well, it's all about a ring...

• It's just plain funny !

  MovieDave2001-06-04

  Just the name Martin Lawrence kind of makes me laugh, and this movie with Danny DeVito will give you several good belly laughs. Plain and simple, the formula for a good comedy is not all that complex, as this film clearly shows. There's no gross-out humor, or excessive vulgar language needed to make this movie a fun couple of hours. I also genuinely liked John Leguizamo's character throughout the movie. All in all this movie is a barrel of laughs from start to finish.

• Martin & Danny have great comedic chemistry

  michaelsibley4162004-09-06

  If the box office rest of summer ends up as good as this movie was, movie fans will be in for a real treat. Martin Lawrence returns to the big screen with his hilarious brand of humor as he teams with Danny DeVito in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" revolves around a would-be burglar named Kevin Caffrey, played by Lawrence, is caught in the act by the home owner, billionaire Max Fairbanks, played by DeVito. The tables are turned when Fairbanks steals Caffrey's ring given to him by his girlfriend. The rest of the film circles around getting the ring back. From this moment on, I knew I was going to be watching one funny film. Joining Lawrence and DeVito is John Leguizamo as Kevin's partner in crime, Burger, Carmen Ejogo as Kevin's girlfriend Amber and Bernie Mac as Kevin's uncle. The addition of these actors is evidence that "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" is a sure hit with all ages. Lawrence wears two hats in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" as producer and star and he has success in both capacities. Furthermore, he was a true asset as an actor in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" because he brought a unique brand of humor. His style is one to be proud of because he truly makes the comedy enjoyable and the humor so funny you'll be laughing so hard it will hurt. I appreciate his comedic ability and acting talent. DeVito adds credibility to one truly fun comedy. I couldn't have asked for a better actor to portray Max Fairbanks. There is not a lot to say about DeVito because his lengthy and steady body of work speaks for him. With so many great films under his belt, I knew I was going to be watching a true master at work. In addition to credibility, DeVito has presence and humor in that made me smile from ear to ear and start to finish. He is solid comedic genius that brings a great amount of comedy and presence that will leave everyone smiling. Leguizamo has a true niche for comedy as he proves in "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" I wasn't sure how to gage Leguizamo because I have only seen one other film with him, so I was surprised to learn he was one of funniest and talented actors in the movie. The chemistry between Lawrence and Leguizamo was perfect because they seemed to work so well together. Leguizamo was a great compliment to Lawrence and his brand of humor. I enjoyed every minute they shared the screen because I knew I was going to laugh. Ejogo was a true pleasure to watch because she brought excitement and charisma to the movie. I relished each scene she was in because I got the opportunity to see a true natural at work. Mac was a true surprise because I didn't expect him to turn in a good performance. Ejogo joins a handful of actresses that includes Monica Potter, Kate Beckinsale and James King, who are on my list of nominees for the prestigious honor of being called best newcomers of the year. The true geniuses behind "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" were the writers because they created something special. The writing in this movie is very enjoyable and good because it compliments Lawrence's comedy and DeVito's humor. The games set up by the writers were incredible fun to watch since each scene skillfully crafted. Also, the audience received a bonus when the writer added action and suspense. Though "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" succeeds mostly with comedy, it also entertains with action and suspense. I knew with scenes like Kevin's taunts to Max over his cell-phone while he was in a senate sub-committee, "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" will entertain every single person who buys a ticket for this movie. I could not ask for anything more from the writers of "What's The Worst That Could Happen" because watching this story play out is a thing of beauty. One solid guarantee I can make to potential viewers of this movie: "What's The Worst That Could Happen" will leave you laughing until it hurts. Lawrence and DeVito are a lethal comedic team that fills the screen with laughter, suspense and action. "What's The Worst That Can Happen?" is one of the most entertaining films I've seen. The bottom line is this film is harmless fun that will delight and entertain you for two hours. I hope everyone gets the chance to see how great these two talents come together and create one of the funniest movies this year.