"WHEN YOU THINK YOU'RE THERE, KEEP GOING" (reviewed by AX)

And away we go... TOP 5 REASONS Why I went to see SERVING SARA:

5. Reginald Hudlin directed such great comedies as HOUSE PARTY, BOOMERANG, THE GREAT WHITE HYPE, and even THE LADIES MAN. This is his latest film.

4. Cedric The Entertainer was hilarious in THE ORIGINAL KIGS OF COMEDY. He has a supporting role in SERVING SARA.

3. Matthew Perry's previous two comedies, FOOLS RUSH IN and THE WHOLE NINE YARDS were surprisingly funny. I've seen them multiple times. And no, I do not watch FRIENDS.

2. Elizabeth Hurley was awesome in BEDAZZLED and is still my favorite AUSTIN POWERS babe.

1. Bruce FUCKING Campbell is my favorite actor of all time, and for those primitive screwheads who aren't in the know, he starred in the greatest motion picture of all time, EVIL DEAD 2. He has a supporting role in SERVING SARA.

SERVING SARA is about a process server (Perry) who is assigned to serve divorce papers to the young trophy wife (Hurley) of a wealthy Texas man (Campbell). Hurley offers Perry a cut of her settlement if he tears up the notice and serves her husband the divorce papers instead. Perry's boss (Cedric) finds out, and sends a rival process server (played by Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore) to get the papers to Hurley before Perry can get the papers to Campbell. Confused? I sure the fuck hope not. Cause that's the plot.

So how was it? To start, SARA is a lot less funny than FOOLS RUSH IN, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS, BEDAZZLED, AUSTIN POWERS, and THE ORIGINAL KINGS OF COMEDY. You know the part in the preview where Matthew Perry stick his hand up the bull's ass? That's one of the only parts I laughed at. In fact, the funniest parts of the movie are the ones with Vincent Pastore, who's constantly being thrown off Perry's trail through the whole film. He's really goddamn funny. And this is at LEAST the 5th time he's played a character named "Tony". As for Bruce Campbell...well...unless you make him the star of the movie, it's almost a waste to even cast him. He's a leading man! They don't give him very much to do as the asshole Texas rich guy. No funny lines really. He's not even mean. He's got a henchman for that (who seems oddly enough to be the bounty hunter character from JASON GOES TO HELL, just a different actor).

Watch this on cable. Don't rent it and don't go see it. That is, of course, unless you're trying to choose between this and PLUTO NASH. I saw that last weekend, and SARA the week after. Sometimes you should just stay home and watch Anna Nicole.

(9.1.02)