DVD Review by Diane McCurdy - August 2019
At first it seemed as if they were an odd couple and then it came to mind that they had been matched before in "Just Go With It". Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler can now be seen again as husband and wife in a Netflix original available at your convenience for streaming in a caper called Murder Mystery. The pair do have an easy chemistry, a relaxed intimacy. Nick and Audrey Spitz have been married for 15 years. She is a hairdresser and a mystery buff. He is a cop who has just failed his detective test. This is true because Adam always plays a character who is slightly vulnerable. Their marriage is good but after so many years it lacks sparkle, so Nick is more or less bamboozled into taking Audrey on a long delayed European honeymoon. On their flight a sophisticated lesser noble, Viscount Cavendish, invites the couple to join him on his uncle's yacht and ready for an adventure and on a whim, they choose to go on the luxurious Mediterranean cruise rather than the bus tour that they had booked. The uncle turns out to be venerable actor, Terence Stamp. He leaves us early as he is murdered just as he was about to disinherit the various members of his entourage. This is the apex of the plot and what ensues is a very derivative romp to find out "whodunit?".
The familiar conventions are not annoying. We expect them and would be disappointed if they did not pop up. Murder Mystery is what would happen if 10 Little Indians met Charade within a game of Clue! We are presented with a motley crew of usual suspects. First of all, there is the dead man's very young and very pretty fiancée'. Then there is a buffed bodyguard, a race car driver, a one-eyed colonel, a maharajah, and a jaded starlet who some might recognize as former Bond girl, Gemma Arterton. But it is, of course, the Spitz's who become the prime suspects even though they have no motive whatsoever. Don't try to apply too much logic here just savor the experience. We are then taken on a nice escapade from Monaco to Lake Como as Adam and Jen become amateur sleuths in order to clear their name . They are pursued by a French detective who is reminiscent of Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther series.
The costume designer has put Jen into many cutesy micro -minis. Jen has great legs, yet no one can rock a long, slinky, black dress like Jen. But maybe the director didn't want her to look too sophisticated. After all she is married to Adam and, in this, he is an affable klutz. On its debut weekend, Murder Mystery garnered record breaking figures. There was an audience of 31 million viewers in the U.S. and Canada and more world wide. No one doubts the talent of these two performers. This is a perfect film for a warm summer evening. It is a spoof, light and fun. Just relax and enjoy the ride.
