I actually enjoyed The Whole Nine Yards, which is more than I can say for its sequel. The plot is absolutely ridiculous, but overall the film is very entertaining and fun. The script is funny and engaging with a few quotable lines here and there, while the direction and pacing are efficient, the soundtrack excellent and the cinematography and camera angles inventive.

Also adding to the enjoyment are the performances. Bruce Willis and Matthew Perry nail their respective roles, both show surprisingly great comic timing, while Amanda Peet is surprisingly good as well and I found the characters likable and well written.

Overall, not exceptional, but fun and entertaining. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Nicholas 'Oz' Oseransky (Matthew Perry) is a meek dentist in Montreal. His wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette) is a money grubber who may be looking to cash in on his life insurance. His new assistant Jill St. Claire (Amanda Peet) tells him to divorce her. Then notorious mob hit-man Jimmy 'The Tulip' Tudeski (Bruce Willis) moves in next door. He immediately recognizes Jimmy is in danger of a contract kill from Chicago mob boss Janni Pytor Gogolak (Kevin Pollak). Sophie pushes Oz to cash in on the contract and he goes back to Chicago to appease her but not intending to contact Janni. She immediately tells Jimmy to double cross Oz. Oz is confronted by hit-man 'Frankie Figs' Figueroa (Michael Clarke Duncan) who brings him to Janni. Oz falls for femme fatale Cynthia Tudeski (Natasha Henstridge). She tells him that Janni's father Lazlo hid $10M with her before being sent to prison. It can only be accessed with three signatures from her, Janni, and Jimmy. Or else it can be accessed with their death certificates. Janni sends Frankie with Oz back to Montreal to track down and kill Jimmy. Only there are even more double crosses.

My biggest problem with this is director Jonathan Lynn. He doesn't show enough comedic skills in this. There are some good potential but it looks like a second rate movie. This should be so much funnier. It's simply not well filmed. There is also the $10M jackpot. It's way too convoluted and simply a device to give the characters a reason to do what they do. It's backwards writing. Mostly, it's awkward.

The good part is all the good actors around. Most of them are doing their best. Natasha Henstridge is a little stiff. Kevin Pollak isn't as funny as he needs to be. Matthew Perry is working hard and has good chemistry with Bruce Willis. The boys are good with Amanda Peet. Perry has less chemistry with Natasha Henstridge. There are a few laughs. I just wish it has a lot more.

You have to wonder looking at this, if Bruce Willis has been phoning it in the last couple of years. Of course the scripts he is getting are also to blame for sure. This one on the other hand really was well thought of. There still may be some issues with certain incidents and things happening here with some people watching. Like for some people Amanda Peet going naked for quite some time is a no go and others will cherish that and see humor in it. This has quite a few twists and turns and it might be fun to try to see through them. But even if you just sit back relax and let the movie do its magic, you'll be more than fine. And while Chandler, sorry Matthew Perry was riding on his Friends fame back then (well deserved I might add),Bruce Willis also was on quite some roll - and you also had Rosanne Arquette and Natasha Henstridge who also were in their prime (Hollywood career wise). It had been a while since I last saw this, but it does hold up! Which cannot be said about the sequel as much - the title by the way might not translate well for those not familiar with American Football terms - but even someone as clueless as me got the point.