Rated R for language, drug content and some sexual humor, 90 minutes
"Death at a Funeral" could be filled with more originality, life
"Death at a Funeral" is nothing new. A remake of the 2007 Frank Oz British film, it has an energetic cast, a handful of fun moments and a decent director in Neil LaBute, but it feels too well-worn. Basically a retread of the earlier film with a black cast, if you've seen the earlier film you know exactly what'll happen down the stretch. Ironically, it's a dark comedy about an African-American family, no pun intended. The large cast includes Chris Rock, Tracy Morgan, Martin Lawrence, Danny Glover, Zoe Saldana, James Marsden, Luke Wilson, Loretta Devine, Regina Hall, Columbus Short, Ron Glass, Kevin Hart, Keith David and the only holdover from the original film, Peter Dinklage, reprising his role as a "close friend" of the deceased, in the film's most memorable moments. Rock, Morgan and Lawrence are all cruising, Marsden is miscast but Hall is always fun to watch. Worth it if you enjoy seeing a who's who of talented African-American actors having fun in an overly familiar, too predictable comedy.
