Now & Again: Holmes & Yo-Yo

We look at the team of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly and ask, were they ever that funny together?

HOLMES & WATSON (D+) - Limp and lazy, this forgettable comedy lacks any discernible inspiration or sharp wit. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, coasting on their previous accolades, give it the old college try, but writer-director Etan Cohen gives them little fresh material to work with in the picked-over history of Sherlock Holmes.

Most of the funniest bits are in the trailer. Cohen strains to turn 19th century situations into modern gags, like a "Make Britain Great Again" cap and a selfie with a tripod camera. Several people in recent days have mentioned that they prefer Ferrell in small doses -- such as in his vintage "Saturday Night Live" sketches -- and this film would be Exhibit A in their argument. He and Reilly wring some laugh-out-loud moments here and there (like dropping a Victrola needle of "Unchained Melody" for a "Ghost" spoof), but this whole production comes off as half-assed and dashed off to make a buck. Cohen, a disciple of Mike Judge, usually writes as part of a team, and maybe this exposes him as the weak link in those collaborative efforts. Even talented folks like Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon and Hugh Laurie seem confused about where to find the funny. And Rebecca Hall, Laura Lapkus and Kelly Macdonald are often used as props.

STEP BROTHERS (2008) (B-minus) - Eh. Again, this one has its moments. It's not as embarrassing as the new film. But it takes one joke and stretches it to movie length. This must have been fresher a decade ago, during a simpler time. Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins come off as both good sports and embarrassed as the fish-out-of-water parents of two 30-somethings who act like children. This runs out of gas pretty quickly. But at least Ferrell and Reilly are trying harder here to be faithful to the comedic premise

BONUS TRACK
"Holmes & Watson" was, unfortunately, our annual Christmas Day Mainstream Movie. It barely avoids the basement in the rankings of our longtime tradition:

  1. Up in the Air (2009)
  2. Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
  3. Dreamgirls (2006)
  4. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
  5. The Fighter (2010)
  6. American Hustle (2013)
  7. The Shape of Water (2017)
  8. La La Land (2016)
  9. The Wrestler (2008)
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
11. Young Adult (2011)
12. This Is 40 (2012)
13. Holmes & Watson (2018)
14. Into the Woods (2014)