Film Review: The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

Posted in Film, Reviews
By Sam Bathe on 19 Oct 2009

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard

About renowned used car salesman Don Ready (Piven) and his no nonsense team, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard sees a struggling auto dealership facing liquidation unless the living legend can clear their car lot over the Fourth of July weekend.

Falling down the usual Frat Pack comedy style, after behind Land Of The Lost and Night At The Museum 2, The Goods is further proof Will Ferrell and co. are no longer top of the game with Judd Apatow’s stable now leading the way. Providing a cameo and producing with long time collaborator Adam McKay, Ferrell really needs to up his game on his next release.

This time around though, the misfiring jokes are more to blame on writers Adam Stock and Rick Stempson and lead cast of Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, David Koechner and Kathryn Hahn. There’s no spark to energy to the way they deliver their lines, leaving The Goods feeling like something you’ve already sat through a hundred times before on any other Frat Pack comedy.

Though Jeremy Piven doesn’t have the charisma or exhuberance for the lead role, The Hangover’s Ed Helms and Ken Jeong do come out of the film with some credit; the former as the fiancée of Piven’s love interest and the latter as one of the dealerships failing salesmen.

Often boring as the day on day narrative soon grows tiresome and ineffective, The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is an entirely throwaway experience that doesn’t offer anything vaguely witty or clever. Look elsewhere to satisfy your comedy needs.

★★★★

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