"Envy" bombed at the box office in 2004, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching (or owning). Jack Black and Ben Stiller play neighbors & best friends in Southern California who work at a sandpaper factory. Black strikes it rich with an invention and builds a vast mansion where his former home was. Of course, this stirs the envy of Stiller who gets mixed-up with an eccentric vagabond, played by Christopher Walken. Amy Poehler and Rachel Weisz play the wives.

While "Envy" isn't very laugh-out-loud funny, it's consistently amusing and the story is good enough to maintain your attention. Walken stands out as the offbeat bum. What I like best is the film's originality; I really can't think of any other films like it. Maybe that's why it bombed. I also like the way "Envy" pokes fun at materialism and everything that goes with it, e.g. envy. In addition, it's nice to watch a comedy like this without overt sleaze and overkill cussing, like 2007's "The Heartbreak Kid" (I don't mind realistic cussing in movies, but when it's overdone it's neither impressive nor funny; it's just stoo-pid and smacks of lazy writing).

Weisz and Poehler are as gorgeous as ever, but they're decidedly peripheral and the filmmakers never take advantage of their presence. Regardless, "Envy" is solid, original amusement.

The film runs 99 minutes and was shot in Santa Clarita, L.A. & Culver Studios, CA, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

GRADE: B

"Envy" has all the earmarks of a huge movie bomb. It sat on the shelf for two years, the stars and director publicly apologized for the film AND the film was in and out of American theaters so fast that they didn't even bother having it play in theaters in Europe! Why? Well, the script has a good idea but the execution just isn't all that funny. Some of this doubtless is because the film was directed by an exceptional director...but one who simply isn't a comedy director. His one other attempt at comedy was the godawful "Toys"...which, like "Envy", had some stars and a decent idea...but which just didn't work.

The story is about two friends. When the story begins, Tim (Ben Stiller) is the more successful of the two and it would appear it will stay that way. In contrast, Nick (Jack Black) is a dreamer....and his ideas for making riches sound really dumb. Amazingly, however, his idea for a miracle spray that makes dog feces magically disappear actually is made into a successful product...and he becomes immensely wealthy almost overnight. Now, Nick has built a HUGE mansion next to his friend's home and is very nice towards Tim and his family.

In spite of how nice Nick is, Tim becomes resentful and during this resentful period, he meets a weirdo in a bar. J-Man (Christopher Walken) wants to help Tim get revenge....and it's all very premature as soon Nick gives Tim a partnership in his company and now Tim, too, is a rich man. But what about the revenge plan? How will this come back to haunt him?

While I didn't hate this film despite it's low IMDB score and more, I didn't love it either. Much of it is because the story has some funny elements and should have worked much better...it should have been very funny but just wasn't. I see it as a bit of a time-passer and nothing else.

Tim Dingman (Ben Stiller) and Nick Vanderpark (Jack Black) are best friends and co-workers. Nick is a dreamer who dreams up a spray to vaporize dog poo. Tim is a reserved man who thinks the idea is silly, and does not invest $2000 in an idea of a lifetime. Nick becomes super rich, and Tim is still stuck in his life. Nick is jealous and his wife Debbie (Rachel Weisz) won't let it go. That's when he meets crazy J-Man (Christopher Walken).

This is not only unfunny, but it's utterly annoying. These people are not just hateful. They're annoying. Both Stiller and Black are playing different kinds of annoying people. Ben is the title Envy character, but Black is totally clueless. If you're looking for likable characters, you won't find them in the wives. Weisz is a petty angry woman, and Amy Poehler is even more idiotic than Black. There is just nobody to cling to in this movie. This blackest of black comedy from director Barry Levinson doesn't work because I can't stand these characters. It's a depressing movie watching experience.