PodBill Just what I expected

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

merklekranz First the bad news. This supposed black comedy is totally devoid of black comedy, and any other kind of humor for that matter. What you get are two separate converging stories neither of which is remotely funny. Jumping back and forth, the viewer is totally bored and confused, not a good formula for entertainment. Trucking out endless vaudeville acts may be entertaining to an extremely tiny minority, but to everyone else "Funny Bones" will be unending torture. After one hour of this total nonsense, I most fortunately consulted the DVD case, which informed me that it was 128 minutes long. I had had enough. Now the good news, I ejected this artsy crap, and didn't waste another minute. - MERK

bill_golden In spite of how it was originally promoted, Funny Bones has very little to do with stand up comedy. Its convoluted and somewhat confusing storyline tends to undermine its good points....namely, strong photography, quirky characters and many highly imaginative scenes. Many viewers may give up on this film halfway through, but the best is at the end. Several mesmerizing minutes of showmanship provide the climax of the film and it's well worth the wait. Oliver Platt fans should consider this a must, although his character is not particularly likable nor well-drawn. Jerry Lewis essentially plays himself and is effective. In the second half of the movie, Leslie Caron and especially Lee Evans as the puzzling Jack Parker, steal the show with some fine performances. An offbeat cult film with numerous rewarding moments. As Leonard Maltin loves to say, "Not for all tastes."

ccthemovieman-1 Here is one more somewhat-unknown film I wish got more notice, although I'm not sure how many would like it because it's so different. It's a bizarre combination of humor and tragedy, of supernatural and straight drama. It's just an odd mix, but I find it very, very interesting and I've seen it three times, equally fascinated each time.The movie goes back and forth between drama and comedy which makes unsettling for some viewers, but not me. It kept me on my toes, so to speak, even with those multiple viewings. Also in here is another example of how good comedians can be in dramatic roles, in this case, veteran comic Jerry Lewis. Oliver Platt plays his son, and does an outstanding job as the main figure in this film. The comedy is really provided by others, most notably the most tragic figure in the film: "Jack Parker," effectively played by Lee Evans.There is really is no way to adequately explain this strange film in a few paragraphs. I would just say if you are looking for something different, give this a try. And stay with it, even if the first half hour is not to your liking. You will be rewarded.

movieman_kev Oliver Pratt is Tommy Lewis in this tale of a child of a successful comedian, who after bombing in Vegas jets off to Blackpool, England to find the funny. He finds his half-brother, Jack Parker, while still unfunny, has inherited their father Jerry Lewis's genes (Ie. funny to the French). The father follows Tommy over, to make ammends for stealing the act he started with, but won't let poor Jack have the spotlight as well for the petty little reason that Jack is a murdering son-of-a-bitch. Silly Jerry. Well after kidnaping the policeman who is watching him, Jack gets to do his unfunny act. And apparently, the inhabitants of Blackpool are all French and love his shenenigans. Cheering because he doesn't kill Oliver in the process.. YAY!!! My Grade: D+