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I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry DVD Review

by Prairie Miller

A kind of homosexuality for dummies, I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry wants it both ways with mixed audiences out there, as two straight guys go to extremes to pose at being gay and in love. At the same time, the movie itself pretends a benevolent, rose-colored glasses mainstreaming around thorny gay issues, while indulging in lots of offensive homophobic type of humor. In other words: Just kidding.

Chuck (Adam Sandler) and Larry (that cuddly King Of Queens, Kevin James) are best buddies at a New York City firehouse. Larry, who took a rain check when he saved Chuck's life during a recent rescue operation, needs a favor in return badly. A recently widowed dad, Larry has to find a spouse pronto in order to claim survivors' benefits for his kids. Therefore, he drags a less than eager Chuck into a gay domestic partnership and eventual marriage scheme. Disguising himself as a gay man is especially rough for Chuck, since he's an incurable sex addict, not to mention a Mister February calendar hunk.

Director Dennis Dugan has a certain flair for tackling lots of perverse comedy, and sugar coating it sufficiently with generous servings of Hollywood fluff to make it easy enough to swallow. Jessica Biel as the odd couple's lawyer who longs to be gal pals with Chuck so badly that she can't see through his uncontrollable lust, is a bit too clueless. While Ving Rhames steals everybody else's thunder as the most macho guy in the firehouse and on the down low, who decides it's time to finally come out in the communal shower.

A Universal Pictures DVD Release: In AC-3 format, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, Widescreen, NTSC.
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, French, Spanish
Extra Features: Alternate takes; Audio Commentary from director Dennis Dugan, and stars Adam Sandler and Kevin James. Also, deleted scenes and outtakes and, Featurettes; I Now Pronounce You Husband And...Husband? Look Who Stopped By, Dugan: The Hands On Director, Stop, drop And Roll, and Laughing Is Contagious.

judythpiazza@newsblaze.com