If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Great Film overall

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Recap: When Ray Pluto steps into the Bun Burger he doesn't know that his bad luck has just begun. Suddenly a crazy man with a rifle crashes through the window and starts shooting people. A perfect moment for detective to step in and gain fame (and fortune?). But a bad back prevents him from raising his own gun, and he trips up, falling and dropping his gun. Instead of him a 10-year-old kid becomes the hero, and he becomes "Loser Cop". After that Ray struggles to regain his confidence and reputation, but never seems to catch a break. There is just bad luck around...Comments: "Translated" into Bad Luck in Swedish, that title does make a little more sense than Double Whammy that I still can't really connect to the movie. However, Bad Luck seems to describe it better since I felt that I was in bad luck that it didn't end sooner.This movie suffers badly from a weak script. Supposed to be a comic drama it is neither. There are no real fun moments, and no real suspense, no development at all to speak of. The movie consists of a string of events, which are mostly weakly connected to each other and sometimes seem to happen at random. It also contains a few rather pointless sub-plots never explored, the biggest one consists of two guys trying to write a movie (maybe experiences of the script-writer?) that is mostly there to make the end work and bring some comic twists during the movie. But unfortunately it just doesn't. The most ignored sub-plot is the prior loss of Pluto's wife and daughter which is just hinted at, and if explored could had a real impact. Now it is just lost and pointless.So, even though the movie casts a few good actors there is not much to hope for. Denis Leary is good when he has something to work with, but that doesn't happen here. Steve Buscemi might be one of the most underrated actors out there, but sadly his character is just peripheral in this movie and he never gets the opportunity to do anything. Donald Faison has shown subsequently to be a great comic actor in Scrubs, but is able to show little here. The movie also sports known actors like Elizabeth Hurley, Chris Noth and Luiz Guzman but they seem out of luck too. Actually all characters except for Ray Pluto, like Buscemi's Jerry, is just peripheral. And it is hard to make and carry an entire movie alone. I don't blame the actors, I blame the script.Not much to hope for really, a few bright moments, but not much more.4/10

Denis Leary plays Raymond Pluto, a detective fallen from grace after his bad back causes him to fail preventing a fast-food shooting. Worse yet, a nerdy seven-year old kid saves the day. Now Pluto, along with his partner (Buscemi) and his chiropractor(Hurley), is searching for redemption. And, with the help of a pair of inept screenwriters and some unscrupulous gang members, Pluto may save the day yet...or die trying. The unique cast works towards the film's strengths, as do the wry comedy, but the film's obvious low budget hinders it from achieving it's obvious potential. Still, it's a lot more enjoyable than most of the mainstream stuff that Hollywood is trying to pass off as entertainment these days. Buscemi steals every scene he's in as he reveals problems with his sexual identity.

It's such a strange combination what DiCillo shows in "Double Whammy". On the one hand we got this cop whose wife and daughter have died in an accident, also he's getting through some difficulties in his job (as you can see, everything looks so dramatic). But on the other we got a series of bizarre characters and a lot of hilarious dialogs. That way the dramatic side of "Double whammy" loses all its strength... It works much better as a comedy, but the movie is kind of irregular anyhow and the style of DiCilo behind the camera is rather ordinary (it looks like a 80's picture).Barely entertaining...*My rate: 5/10

Two of the most respected, famous, talented individuals in movie history - Jack Nicholson and the late Peter Sellers - have and had off-screen relationships, both professional and personal, at complete odds with their on-screen personas. In terms of his primary professional career - as a comedian - Denis Leary has a persona which can be described as harsh, earthy, laced with profanity, and with characteristics which often are vulgar. He's also very funny, but even those of us not averse to comedy with very adult language and demeanor can find some of his stuff off-putting on occasion. But on-screen, while he also presents some rough edges, in this film (as in "The Ref") he is likable, and is a also a competent actor (if not yet a "Sellers" or "Nicholson") who provides an engaging performance. In "The Ref," the splendid supporting performances by Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis, his neurotic hostages and later allies - along with the rest of the excellent cast - added to the film's enjoyment. In "Double Whammy" the beautiful and talented Elizabeth Hurley (Hugh Grant should have his head examined) and the other, supporting cast members, many recognizable for other capable performances, add to this film's enjoyment, as well.But, back to comparison with Sellers and Nicholson, Leary is a man who in real life had been married to the same woman for nearly 25 years, half his entire life, who has significant charitable activity, who taught English (IN COLLEGE), and is as stable as these two were not - in reality. We certainly can enjoy performances which don't reflect actors' personal/real lives (if this weren't so, movies and other entertainment media might die-out) - but it's interesting to recognize the virtues of someone like Leary, especially since, ironically, I've encountered people who eschew his movies because the don't care for his on-stage comedy persona. In this film, albeit's not being "The Maltese Falcon" or "Basic Instinct," and Leary not yet another Bogart or Michael Douglas, it still is well-cast, well-acted, and provides a competent mix of humor, action, romance, some surprises/plot twists, and drama, to provide an enjoyable hour-and-a-half spent, and rates a solid 8* (possibly even higher).