Good concept, poorly executed.

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Time is 2000. Bruce Willis fresh off 'the Fifth Element'. An on-form Matthew Perry fresh off 'Friends'. This is a crime-comedy with all the goods from either world, and it's done *just right*. The plot is good, and the film's got that typical contorted type story at the middle of it linking many different characters, but still absolutely coherent and compelling. Perry really is very funny in this one, and it's about to be one crazy ride for this prude of a dentist when an ex- big time conman is his neighbor and he finds out who he is and somehow finds himself involved. This is a crazy ride, with lots of great fun and action, good laughs, a good atmosphere between tight tension and comedy relief, the supporting cast is great, and the plots within the plots are strong enough to make this a fairly layered piece of genre-hybrid cinema. Just all in all, an excellent comedy.

Nick (Matthew Perry) is a struggling dentist in Canada. A new neighbor moves in, and he discovers that it is Jimmy "The Tulip" Teduski (Bruce Willis). His wife convinces him to go to Chicago and inform the mob boss who wants Jimmy dead.Bruce Willis as a hit-man? Yeah, it seems plausible given his tough guy roles. Matthew Perry as a luckless loser? Yep, makes even more sense (he definitely appeared in a series of odd romances). Together, they make a pretty good combination.While much of this is fairly predictable, it should be. This is not a deep, philosophical film about killing, but a light-hearted jaunt about contract murder and falsifying dental records. Should that be fun? Maybe not, but it is.

Nicholas 'Oz' Oseransky (Matthew Perry) is a meek dentist in Montreal. His wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette) is a money grubber who may be looking to cash in on his life insurance. His new assistant Jill St. Claire (Amanda Peet) tells him to divorce her. Then notorious mob hit-man Jimmy 'The Tulip' Tudeski (Bruce Willis) moves in next door. He immediately recognizes Jimmy is in danger of a contract kill from Chicago mob boss Janni Pytor Gogolak (Kevin Pollak). Sophie pushes Oz to cash in on the contract and he goes back to Chicago to appease her but not intending to contact Janni. She immediately tells Jimmy to double cross Oz. Oz is confronted by hit-man 'Frankie Figs' Figueroa (Michael Clarke Duncan) who brings him to Janni. Oz falls for femme fatale Cynthia Tudeski (Natasha Henstridge). She tells him that Janni's father Lazlo hid $10M with her before being sent to prison. It can only be accessed with three signatures from her, Janni, and Jimmy. Or else it can be accessed with their death certificates. Janni sends Frankie with Oz back to Montreal to track down and kill Jimmy. Only there are even more double crosses.My biggest problem with this is director Jonathan Lynn. He doesn't show enough comedic skills in this. There are some good potential but it looks like a second rate movie. This should be so much funnier. It's simply not well filmed. There is also the $10M jackpot. It's way too convoluted and simply a device to give the characters a reason to do what they do. It's backwards writing. Mostly, it's awkward.The good part is all the good actors around. Most of them are doing their best. Natasha Henstridge is a little stiff. Kevin Pollak isn't as funny as he needs to be. Matthew Perry is working hard and has good chemistry with Bruce Willis. The boys are good with Amanda Peet. Perry has less chemistry with Natasha Henstridge. There are a few laughs. I just wish it has a lot more.

The first thing to know about this film is it is a MOB Comedy which means if you are looking for something on a Disney Level, this is not the place. That said, this is a great film, and everybody except Nicholas 'Oz' Oseransky (Matthew Perry) 'Oz' is a very naive Montreal Dentist, is not what they seem to be. Spoilers 'Oz' is unaware that is evil wife Sophie (Rosanna Arquette), is trying to kill him, and even hires a hit woman in training Jill St Clair (Amanda Peet), to do so. Jill is a great character (My personal favorite), she would have killed him, except his next door neighbor is mob hit-man Jimmy "The Tulip" Tudeski (Bruce Willis), and she wants to become his prodigy, and thus takes 'Oz' side, and lets him know what is happening. After he finds out the truth about Sophie "Oz" falls in love with Jimmy's estranged wife Cynthia (Natasha Henstridge), and it goes without saying that he is playing a dangerous game there (Falling for the wife of a mob hit man). He is also targeted by another gangster, Franklin 'Frankie Figs' Figueroa (Michael Clarke Duncan (Who died far too young)), and his associates. The entire film is about 'Oz' trying to survive various attempts on his life, and basically oblivious about the dangerous game he is playing, and the sort of characters he is dealing with. But its his decency that gets him through (Except when he frames Sophie for murder (She had it coming)). At the end of the film, there is a scene where Cynthia learns all 'Oz' really wants is to marry her, he does not care about money or anything else. As he said: "I want to marry you more than anyone wanted to marry anyone in history." In addition, Jimmy ends up falling in love with Cynthia and they will end up becoming married as well. What makes it work is this is a film with characters you like (And hate), beautiful women, a different setting than usual (Montreal), lots of laughs, lots of action, lots of twists and turns, and an intelligent script. For fans of mob films, Willis, Perry, and especially Peet (Who steals the film) it should be a must see.