So what's 'Waiting...' about? Nothing, really. Monty (Ryan Reynolds) leads a fresh hire around his new place of work -- Shenaniganz Restaurant -- showing him the ropes. Meanwhile, Dean (Justin Long) feels like he's wasting his life away working a dead-end job in a low-end restaurant franchise. In the background, the rest of the staff (highlighted by Luis Guzman, Anna Faris, Dane Cook, and the boss, David Koechner) play it up with some wacky hijinx that are occasionally laugh-worthy. And that's pretty much it. It follows the staff through an average day at Shenaniganz, with Dean's "crisis" the main plot-point.
What's the problem then? 'Waiting...' feels like Amateur Hour at a stand-up comedy club. You laugh, you feel slightly uncomfortable, you groan a few times, and then you laugh hard. For a gross-out comedy, it's really something of a mixed-bag, but when it hits, it hits hard. The only problem is first-time writer-director Rob McKittrick doesn't know when to kill a joke when it's run its course. The same tired routines that barely worked the first time keep getting drawn out further and further. There's definitely some potential here for a great movie, as each cast member gets their own scene to truly shine in. The problem is the script's complete lack of polish, which seems rushed into production before it really had a chance to find its direction.
FINAL SCORE: 6.1 = C
Solid performances from a cast of comic marvels stop this ship from sinking completely. Reynolds is especially outstanding as Monty, and he and Long have pretty good chemistry together. Still, without a script to match their talents, the jokes just aren't there consistently enough. 'Waiting...' had the potential to be something great. It just should have waited a little longer.
What's the problem then? 'Waiting...' feels like Amateur Hour at a stand-up comedy club. You laugh, you feel slightly uncomfortable, you groan a few times, and then you laugh hard. For a gross-out comedy, it's really something of a mixed-bag, but when it hits, it hits hard. The only problem is first-time writer-director Rob McKittrick doesn't know when to kill a joke when it's run its course. The same tired routines that barely worked the first time keep getting drawn out further and further. There's definitely some potential here for a great movie, as each cast member gets their own scene to truly shine in. The problem is the script's complete lack of polish, which seems rushed into production before it really had a chance to find its direction.
FINAL SCORE: 6.1 = C
Solid performances from a cast of comic marvels stop this ship from sinking completely. Reynolds is especially outstanding as Monty, and he and Long have pretty good chemistry together. Still, without a script to match their talents, the jokes just aren't there consistently enough. 'Waiting...' had the potential to be something great. It just should have waited a little longer.