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What could have easily been a clever, ingenious comedy which mixes the external life of a person or persons, as well as showing the internal workings of the body, is short of slaking any creative payoffs. The connotation for the PG rating “Osmosis Jones” has received — for bodily humor — cannot prepare you for the trituration of bowel “jokes” the Farrelly Brothers have assembled, along with the nastier side of the body’s flaws of acne, digestion, fungi, etc. Gross-out is a brand the Farrellys are generally categorized in, but this cartoon kids’ fare is a far stretch from their yucky, though sometimes funny forte. But since their peak with “There’s Something About Mary,” and their growing accordance to that form (from just plain juvenile with “Dumb & Dumber,” to grossly puerile hilarity in “Kingpin”), the peak has seemed to come to a halting stop, and the descending arch has successively brought a glut of movies that are unsuccessfully bad imitations. The Farrellys are obviously in a slump, in a recidivation, not so much in the sense that they are returning to former behaviors (which in their case is habitual), but that it is a backsliding, and a far more serious case surpassing their early mistakes with “Dumb & Dumber,” or even their biggest flub hitherto, “Me, Myself & Irene.” Even by association, their name does little to cause stir (“Outside Providence,” “Say It Isn’t So” — of which the then first-time director now has his second effort out with this week’s “American Pie 2”). With “Osmosis Jones,” the older teen and adult audience is being eliminated. The animation, directed by Piet Kroon and Tom Sito is crude; it’s drawn unrefined and rough in a thrown-together and basic form. The humor, too, is crude, but with a different denotation, one of base and coarse conventions. And when it’s mellow, it’s lame. (Corny jeu d’esprits like “Holy spit” or “Son of a flagellate.”) When switched over to the live-action, it’s filmed on an ugly, diffused and sallow stock; it reinforces the stale crevice from which this has crawled out of. The movie itself is hardly a loss or disappointment on my behalf, but the fact that its idea is given so little creative juice and outlet for a concept that warrants it, is the true crime. The vocal talent, some of who are pretty good in live roles, are not utilized as voices only. Certain casting at least calls for some good choices, such as David Hyde Pierce as the antibiotic pill, or Lawrence Fishburne as the deadly virus. But why Chris Rock or Brandy? Rock’s voice is annoying enough in human form, and it isn’t bestrewed in the slightest by amending it to a cartoon character. My complaint with Brandy is more from the lack of any excitement, emotion or feeling in her voice. If she sings the same way she voices a cartoon character, it might not be any wonder she hasn’t released anything lately. The live-action players — Murray, Molly Shannon, Chris Elliott — are wasted, unfunny and unendurable. One can only feel sorry for Elena Franklin, who plays Murray’s concerned daughter, a) for having to be surrounded by all the grotesqueries associated with Murray and the movie, and b) the lack of attention she has received for her role. Had it not been for the one photo-still in which she was featured, there was not any other mention of this talented young actress throughout the press kit. Hopefully next time the gifted Franklin shows up somewhere, it will be a project worthy of her presence, which at least here was the only high spot.

With the voices of William Shatner, Ron Howard and Joel Silver.

Final Verdict: F.

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originally posted: 08/17/01 02:08:18
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