I thought this was going to be just another dumb teen comedy. After watching the first 10 minutes, I was convinced it was, and was ready to try something else. Well, I am glad I stayed with it. It was very funny and a combination comedy and horror film. Yes, it's humor geared more for teens but people far older than 15 should still get a lot of laughs out of this.

Warning: some of the scenes are pretty gross, at least for a comedy, but that's what made those particularly scenes funny. Comedy and horror mix well together, anyway.

The film reminded me a bit of "American Werewolf in London" with the "undead" kids. Despite the absurdity of it, there are a couple of good message in here....but, generally, this is purely escapist fun and nothing else.

IDLE HANDS is a late-'90s comedy horror flick that comes across as a cross between the self-knowing humour of SCREAM and the bodily dismemberment of EVIL DEAD 2. Unsurprisingly it's nowhere near as good as either of those movies, although those with a penchant for '90s horror might get a chuckle or two from this one.

The worst thing about this, for me, was the main characters, who are a trio of the usual slacker/stoner types that I don't think much of. Devon Sawa, of FINAL DESTINATION fame, was never much of an actor and he struggles to bring any charisma to the part here, although Seth Green is always reliable. The idea of having the two buddies helping him out seems to have been borrowed from Peter Jackson's superior THE FRIGHTENERS.

The whole 'possessed hand' thing has been done before, and better, most notably by Bruce Campbell, so there's not a whole lot of entertainment value there. Still, there are plenty of splattery and gory moments which are handled nicely, and it's always amusing to see actors in pre-stardom roles (step forward, Jessica Alba). The final denouement is a bit silly but overall IDLE HANDS is an acceptable film for what it is, just not one I found particularly funny.

Anton Tobias (Devon Sawa) is pot smoking teen slacker. He's so oblivious that he doesn't notice his parents had been killed on Halloween. His slacker friends Mick (Seth Green) and Pnub (Elden Henson) tell him about the serial killer on the loose. He's in love with Molly (Jessica Alba) next door but he's too shy to talk to her. Debi LeCure (Vivica A. Fox) is on the hunt for the killer, a demonic killer. Anton discovers the bodies. His right hand seems to have a mind of its own.

Devon Sawa is not the most compelling lead. He does this pathetic slacker character well. The comedy duo of Seth Green and Henson is terrific. There's a young hot Jessica Alba. It has some funny moments. It just needs more of them. It's a junior take on the Evil Dead hand and there's nothing wrong with that.