Product Details

• Actors: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Jemaine Clement
• Directors: Jay Roach
• Writers: Francis Veber, David Guion, Michael Handelman
• Producers: Jay Roach, Amy Sayres, Francis Veber, Gary Barber
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Dreamworks Video
• DVD Release Date: January 4, 2011
• Run Time: 114 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (201 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B004AV5GX6
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,923 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Dinner for Schmucks" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Steve Carell, whose gift for playing dumb yet remaining sympathetic is unparalleled, and the astoundingly likable Paul Rudd make an excellent comedy team in Dinner for Schmucks. Tim (Rudd, I Love You, Man) gets invited to take part in a game his boss plays every year: each of his executives has to bring a perfect idiot to dinner; the biggest loser wins an award and the executive who brought him gets a promotion. Tim's girlfriend thinks the idea is appalling, and Tim reluctantly agrees--until he literally runs into Barry (Carell), an obtuse IRS agent who makes dioramas with stuffed dead mice. Barry is so perfect for the game that Tim can't resist inviting him to dinner--but by inviting Barry into his life, Tim loses control of everything he wants as Barry's bumbling attempts to help go hopelessly awry. Dinner for Schmucks has its share of broad slapstick, but what may surprise some viewers is the mix of verbal wit and elegant visual jokes (some of Barry's dioramas are both funny and truly beautiful). The movie's farcical formula is familiar and threadbare, but Rudd and Carell give it genuine heart as well as humor and the supporting performances from Jemaine Clement (Eagle vs. Shark), Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover), and Kristin Schaal (Flight of the Conchords) are all deliriously funny. A loose but honorable remake of the French comedy The Dinner Game. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Tim (Rudd) is a rising executive who “succeeds” in finding the perfect guest, IRS employee Barry (Carell), for his boss’ monthly event, a so-called “dinner for idiots,” which offers certain advantages to the exec who shows up with the biggest buffoon.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the reviews, this is a great comedy. February 4, 2011

By Michael F

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

What people seem to mistake about this movie is that it is going to be a goofball comedy. In many ways it is, but you also have to realize that there is an element of dark comedy here also. Steve Carell's character does a good job of screwing up Paul Rudd's character's life here, and you almost get irritated at times by how far it goes. That is why this is a dark comedy. Some people like it, some don't. A good movie to compare this to would be The Cable Guy. If you're like me and became pretty annoyed with Jim Carrey's character in that movie, then the people behind it accomplished what they set out to do.

My only complaint is that there are far too many dark comedies coming out nowadays, as if Hollywood thinks that's what the public wants or something (i.e. Easy A, Funny People, and, from what I've heard, The Dilema). Granted I thought this was one of the better movies of its kind to come out, as Steve Carell's character is very likable despite the actions he takes. There is one point during the movie, right in the middle of the obligatory fight between the leads, that Steve Carell's character almost gets to the point that he destroys what defines him as a character, but luckily he pulls back before he can do so. I think that in real life we probably would have seen him go that far considering what he was going through at the time, but at the same time audiences view comedies to laugh, not to be depressed.

So yes, the darker comedy here makes this a little more realistic, and will probably evoke an emotional response from you now and then, but this is still a very funny movie. Mostly because of Steve Carell's character, surprisingly. I saw this for Paul Rudd, and he was almost way too serious here. Still, these two worked well together. They did so in Anchorman and in The 40-Year Old Virgin, and the same is true here. While this movie doesn't quite measure up to those two, I still think it is one of the better comedies to come out in 2010. My only big complaint about this movie is Zach Galifianakis, who I don't find that funny at all. He plays a much more annoying character than Steve Carell does, which is appropriate since he's the villain, but I think this actor will be seen in a different light after having viewed this movie. It's an unusual role for him, I'll leave it at that.

In conclusion, I recommend everyone thinking about seeing this movie should see it. I've never seen the original, but I tend to enjoy comedies a lot. Yes, it's on the darker side, but the movie never completely falls apart. It may tread on the edge a bit, but there is a happy ending for almost everyone to be had here.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Crazy Hilarious Comedy. Rudd and Carell are Great Together. January 5, 2011

By paper tiger

Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase

At first, I thought this movie looked really stupid. The whole idea seemed quite dumb and uninteresting.

That being said, I went ahead and blind bought it and watched it last night.

I was pleasantly surprised. The movie was very well filmed, well acted, and seemed to flow quite well. I never really thought about it, but Steve Carell and Paul Rudd work perfectly together. They really balance each other out and mix the perfect amount of humor and crazy situations. Steve Carell cracked me up most of the movie simply with his facial expressions.

I found this movie to be very entertaining and I was highly anticipating what would happen next. It was a little predictable, however it was still very entertaining.

The PQ and AQ are perfect. The extras are about average.

18 of 24 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Bumpy, but fun ride. Blu-Ray has exclusives December 10, 2010

By SRFireside

Format:Blu-ray

Dinner for Schmucks is a lot like getting a Shiatsu massage from a member of the women's German Olympic weightlifting team. Nice at first and you end up feeling good about it by the time it's over, but it can sure get uncomfortable along the way. The movie is funny. Very funny at times. At other times I feel like pulling my hair. It's a mixed bag. However when you get down to it I didn't regret watching it and look back remembering the fun stuff more than the stuff I complain about.

The movie is a situation comedy. One dude (Paul Rudd) wants to rise up the corporate ladder and one of way of doing it is to get a schmuck for this joke dinner party. Dude finds a schmuck (Steve Carell), who then latches onto him and all sorts of embarrassingly crazy stuff happens. It's similar comedy that you would find in Due Date (maybe it's a Zack Galifianakis thing as he is in both movies). Sometimes it's pretty funny and sometimes you just wish they would quit running the gag as long as they do. In the middle of the movie it's especially exasperating and borders on being painfully droll. There is only so many times (and minutes) I can stand seeing Carell destroy Rudd's life in various little ways.

It's when they get off on that kick and move further into the absurdities and quirkiness of the characters that the comedy starts to take off for me. Jemaine Clement as the eccentric artist Kieran gives a refreshingly out of the box performance, Galifianakis' character is weird but gels right in with Carell. Much of the good stuff happens in the beginning and the penultimate "dinner" scene at the end of the movie. It's makes it worth the wait when you get there. You get a blind swordsman making funny challenges, a pet psychic talking to the food, even Jeff Dunham married to one of his dummies. There is a fair amount of comedy gold in the rough.

The movie is not just all hijinks as the main characters do a little soul searching and maturing throughout the movie. This includes Steve Carell's character getting a little growth along with Rudd's character learning a life lesson suitable for an after school special. The movie is far from perfect, but it does have heart.

The Blu-Ray release will be in AVC 16x9 widescreen format in 1080p with audio in 5.1 DTS-HD (dvd will be in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround). Extra features will be the following:

The Biggest Schmucks in the World featurette - Interviews from the stars. More of a promotional fluff piece than anything else.

"Schmuck Ups" - Gag reel. Standard stuff like messing up lines and being goofy on the set, but it's funny.

Deleted scenes - Kinda funny, but nothing that the movie needed to keep.

The Men Behind the Mousterpieces - Self explanatory. About the Chiodo Brothers and their mouse dioramas. A Blu-Ray exclusive presented in High Definition.

Meet the Winners - Another Hi Def BD exclusive. A little character profile piece for the "schmucks" at the dinner.

Paul and Steve: The Decision - A sketch piece spoofing the LeBron James Press Conference (also a BD exclusive in Hi Def).

Dinner for Schmucks isn't for everyone. You gotta enjoy quirky comedy. And you gotta enjoy the kind of comedy that puts you in awkward moments. For those of you who do enjoy that you have a little gem here. For those who enjoy some, but not all I still say at least do a rental. You may be glad you did.