A laughfest between in-laws

The master is back. Comedy king Albert Brooks plays Jerry Peyser, an anal retentive podiatrist trapped in an international arms deal in the action comedy, The In-Laws, directed with hilarious precision by Andrew Fleming. Jerry very reluctantly finds himself teaming up with Steve Tobias, his in-law to-be, if the wedding ever happens.

Steve, played by Michael Douglas, is an international arms merchant who may or may not be a CIA agent as well. Steve is in the final boarding stages of selling a stolen stealth submarine to a gay French bad guy (David Suchet), who finds that he has eyes for Jerry (Brooks). The wedding will happen on the same day as the sub sale. So, expect hot action and never-ending funny scenes, as the two In-Laws face intense challenges of survival.

You’ll be way too busy laughing to ever let your brain get in gear. Hilarious scenarios will make you roll with laughter. In fact, my wife was laughing so hard I started worrying that she might injure herself.

Brooks and Douglas turn out to be a great comedic duo. Douglas’ Steve is as gregarious and likeable as Brooks’ Jerry is unsure and cute. Steve loves playing practical jokes on Jerry, as when he makes him think they are going to crash. Jerry is the original white knuckle flier, since he literally gets anxiety attacks just watching airplane commercials.

From the opening number, set to James Bond’s Live And Let Die theme song, the movie has great music and acting to match. The casting, right down to the smaller parts like those of the bride and groom (Bring it On’s Lindsay Sloane and Van Wilder’s Ryan Reynolds) and Steve’s hated ex-wife (Candice Bergen), is terrific. The movie is wonderfully entertaining and very funny.

Take your family, friends and loved ones to this hilarious wedding. You’ll have a blast.