So much average

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

In spite of how it was originally promoted, Funny Bones has very little to do with stand up comedy. Its convoluted and somewhat confusing storyline tends to undermine its good points....namely, strong photography, quirky characters and many highly imaginative scenes. Many viewers may give up on this film halfway through, but the best is at the end. Several mesmerizing minutes of showmanship provide the climax of the film and it's well worth the wait. Oliver Platt fans should consider this a must, although his character is not particularly likable nor well-drawn. Jerry Lewis essentially plays himself and is effective. In the second half of the movie, Leslie Caron and especially Lee Evans as the puzzling Jack Parker, steal the show with some fine performances. An offbeat cult film with numerous rewarding moments. As Leonard Maltin loves to say, "Not for all tastes."

I've never seen a better ending -- three or four tragic situations turned inside-out in less than a second. It makes me gasp every time I see it.And Oliver Platt, one of the best actors working today. *And* the astonishing Lee Evans.If you're expecting a standard ha-ha comedy, this isn't the right choice. But if you want depth of character and dark personal histories folded into your genuine laughs, please check it out.I try to tell everyone I know about this movie, a tragedian's comedy. Don't miss it.

How can you fairly describe a plot which contains family drama, suspense and a local gangster who is trying to buy some kind of Chinese elixir of life (smuggled from France)? Maybe it's best not to try. Suffice to say the whole thing builds to a tense climax which could see a horrible repetition of an event from the past which we have been shown in flashback.All the performances are excellent. Oliver Platt as failed comic Tommy Fawkes looking for the special something that will make him funny looks unnervingly like Orson Welles in some scenes. Jerry Lewis as his legendary father George is full of wonderful advice. When Tommy is making his Vegas debut he tells him "the room is full of people all ready for you to make them laugh" - just the thing to calm dressing room nerves. I find the idea of Jerry Lewis in Blackpool a great joke in itself.There is great support from Freddie Davies and George Carl as the Parker Brothers. Formerly the top act at Blackpool Tower they are given a new lease of life (literally) and the opportunity to perform again. My one quibble with 'Funny Bones' is that throughout the film we're told how great the Parkers were, yet when they are finally on stage all we get are snippets of what looks like a terrific slapstick routine.Finally there's Lee Evans whose energy (cliche coming up) threatens to burst right off the screen. His 'Valve Radio' routine is almost too fast to be funny, while in the more dramatic phases he successfully gives Jack Parker the necessary aura of danger and unpredictability the story needs. Jack can't help being funny even when being interviewed by a psychiatrist: Q: "Have you lived in Blackpool all your life?" A: "Not yet." Leslie Caron looks beautiful and sophisticated as Jack's mother, Katie. While she is portrayed sympathetically we see she is far from perfect as wife or mother, (and despite the words of her song, Englishmen *do* make love in the afternoon - believe me).A film which is largely set in Blackpool can't be all bad and 'Funny Bones' is far from being all bad. Even this setting is stylised with some strange 1950's retro touches, as if Blackpool hasn't moved on for thirty years or so. I'm afraid honesty compels me to say that Blackpool is in fact dirty, tawdry, a little squalid and the sun certainly doesn't shine everyday. The entertainment centre (the 'Golden Mile') stretches along the shoreline but soon gives way to the usual Victorian terraced streets. People in the north of England like to think of it as our Las Vegas but the Lancashire coast is about as different from the Nevada desert as you can get. In this film we still seem to be seeing Blackpool through the eyes of six-year old Tommy Fawkes. And where are the trams?

I agree that the marketing is completely wrong. Funny bones IS a funny film (extremely funny), but it is a humour which has its routes firmly set in the tragedy of life. George Carl's only speech in the film is deliberately emphasised (His illustration that the tragedies which befall their family are the dark canvas against which the laughter and joy become brighter is deliberately given poignancy by him being the silent role up until then).This assertion is the very basis of the film. Comedy is rooted in the fear of tragedy. The film is about this tragic aspect of comedy. Tommy Fawkes is a privileged son living an extremely comfortable life yet is not inherently funny despite all the money and effort thrown into his act; his step brother (Lee Evans) has a life of almost unbearable tragedy and yet exudes comedy from every pore - he has Funny Bones.This film is beautifully set, acted and conceived. Everything from the astonishing ensemble performances, the exceptional script, the sublime choice of music through to the totally bizarre (and yet perfect) choice of cinematic angles all help portray the tragedy and comedy in their natural state; as two sides of one whole.Brilliant film.. terribly terribly marketed.