Not much to 'Watch'

A purported comedy with rare laughs has an air of Hollywood condescension for its main character and comes off as crass

By Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jul 27, 2012

~~<p>As far as formulaic, empty and disappointing comedies go, "The Watch" is far from the worst. About every seven or eight minutes, perhaps a dozen times over the course of the picture, the movie generates a medium-size laugh. Not a big laugh — there's not a big laugh to be found anywhere on the premises here — but not a tiny one, either. We're talking about a dozen or so taken-by-surprise, spontaneous and genuine "Ha!" moments. And always one "ha," never two.</p>
<p>Yet even with that, "The Watch" inspires the wrong kind of laugh, because the things that are funny in it have little to do with the script and nothing to do with the story or the characters. They all have to do with a viewer's familiarity with Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. If you start off thinking those guys are funny, which they are, you'll be ready to laugh, and every so often something in their delivery or energy will allow a laugh to happen.</p>
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<td><strong>‘THE WATCH'</strong><br />
<em>Rated R</em>
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As far as formulaic, empty and disappointing comedies go, "The Watch" is far from the worst. About every seven or eight minutes, perhaps a dozen times over the course of the picture, the movie generates a medium-size laugh. Not a big laugh — there's not a big laugh to be found anywhere on the premises here — but not a tiny one, either. We're talking about a dozen or so taken-by-surprise, spontaneous and genuine "Ha!" moments. And always one "ha," never two.

Yet even with that, "The Watch" inspires the wrong kind of laugh, because the things that are funny in it have little to do with the script and nothing to do with the story or the characters. They all have to do with a viewer's familiarity with Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. If you start off thinking those guys are funny, which they are, you'll be ready to laugh, and every so often something in their delivery or energy will allow a laugh to happen. ‘THE WATCH' Rated R Login for more...