This movie is worth watching. I think some negative reactions are from disappointed expectations rather than the movie not being actually good. One problem is that it's marketed as a comedy but I don't really see it that way. It's one of those movies that is more amusing than laugh out loud funny. I notice that, in spite of its apparent low rating here on IMDb, there are many enthusiastic reviews here and only 4 that trash it.
Obviously, much of the fun is in watching Kurt Russell and Martin Short. Regarding Kurt Russell, the guy is a major star and goes waaaay back to the 60s as already a major star. If you are a fan of his (as 40+ years' worth of people are), you will enjoy watching him cut up in this whacky role. He's a lot of fun and since I've been a fan since 1967's Flubber, I really enjoyed his entire performance.
I'm a big Martin Short fan but so often his roles in movies are restrained, e.g. The Three Amigos. I'm not really sure what he is shooting for in that persona, but if you like him he can come across as charming in whatever he says or does. In this case his character is again restrained, the straight guy, and on the annoying side, plus he's a little bit of a loser. None of that seems like a formula for success and I don't really think the character or performance works all that well but since I like him he comes across as charming for me.
The movie is largely an adventure and it works on that level. A lot of things go wrong and I don't like that type of movie but it doesn't hit that close to home for me because I've never tried to quit my job and take a boat across the world. So the situations seems so outlandish that I can laugh them off without feeling Martin's pain.
Anyway, as many others here have said, it's pretty good and especially if you're a fan of either or both of the stars, it's worth watching.
Obviously, much of the fun is in watching Kurt Russell and Martin Short. Regarding Kurt Russell, the guy is a major star and goes waaaay back to the 60s as already a major star. If you are a fan of his (as 40+ years' worth of people are), you will enjoy watching him cut up in this whacky role. He's a lot of fun and since I've been a fan since 1967's Flubber, I really enjoyed his entire performance.
I'm a big Martin Short fan but so often his roles in movies are restrained, e.g. The Three Amigos. I'm not really sure what he is shooting for in that persona, but if you like him he can come across as charming in whatever he says or does. In this case his character is again restrained, the straight guy, and on the annoying side, plus he's a little bit of a loser. None of that seems like a formula for success and I don't really think the character or performance works all that well but since I like him he comes across as charming for me.
The movie is largely an adventure and it works on that level. A lot of things go wrong and I don't like that type of movie but it doesn't hit that close to home for me because I've never tried to quit my job and take a boat across the world. So the situations seems so outlandish that I can laugh them off without feeling Martin's pain.
Anyway, as many others here have said, it's pretty good and especially if you're a fan of either or both of the stars, it's worth watching.