Just Add Water

Review by Sean Lynch

Having fallen in love with Jonah Hill in Superbad, it seemed only natural to scour the internet for any slight apperance of the portly hero in any movie I could possibly get my hands on.

All of a sudden, that DVD copy of Accepted I owned seemed a whole lot funnier. I Heart Huckabees had a high point (with Jonah sitting at the dinner table) - and Just Add Water was always going to be appraised well above what it probably should be.

And, lo and behold, I can't help but appraise this indie films worth at much more than a normal human probably would. Thanks a bunch Jonah Hill!!

If you are looking for 'Superbad Jonah' here - you've walked into the wrong store. This is the polar opposite of what we might expect from the foul mouthed comedy star on the rise. But once you sit back and appreciate this slow burner for what it is, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Set in the deadbeat desert world of Trona, California (a dead-end desert town for people with dead-end lives) we follow the luckless Ray Tuckby (TV's Nip/Tuck), a mild-mannered underground parking lot attendant saddled with a neurotic shut-in wife and ill-mannered, sexually-frustrated son (Jonah Hill).

That is, until Ray's life totally bottoms out.

Now, with the help of a childhood sweetheart and a concerned stranger (Danny DeVito), Ray is about to take back his life - and his town - in this strangely offbeat comedy.

Danny DeVito has been putting his name next to oddball black comedies for years now, in fact, you would be hard pressed finding anything that could be considered remotely commercial on his CV that isn't at least ten years old. So it is of little surprise he is involved here - because Just Add Water delivers more black than comedy... but perhaps that's the purpose.

Jonah Hill is excellent as a monotonal virgin (who ends up dating a hooker), as is Justin "The Mac Guy" Long who yet again delivers as a moronic redneck (strangley, he just loves to whip out these sorts of characters during his "indie" days off).

Black comedies have always been an aquired taste - and this is no different - because Just Add Water will divide audiences on the "is it even worth while watching" front.

It's not bad - but if you like What Happens In Vegas, then you best steer clear of this one.

DVD EXTRAS

Nothing to write home about at all here, but as is often the case with Indie flicks, any money floating around is always going to be poured into the film itself rather than DVD extras.

There are a few trailers for other movies on offer - but nothing you can't really see on YouTube. This is definately a title worth buying for the movie and the movie alone. If you want extras - try a Lord of the Rings Box Set!

Conclusion: Movie 68% Extras: N/A