Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

More clever than funny, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels lives and dies by the chemistry between Steve Martin, Michael Caine, and Glenne Headly. These three are fantastic playing against each other as two con men and their mark, constantly trying to outwit one another while keeping their cover. It’s never side-splitting, but it isn’t designed to be either. This is a little more erudite in its comedic styling. Where the movie suffers is its brutal length (almost two hours), and its predictability. The movie feels too long by 20 minutes. They don’t even get to the premise of the movie — a bet between the two to con Headly — until almost 50 minutes in. For a movie that is not complicated at all, it does not need that much runway. And there isn’t a single surprise to be had. If you’ve seen movies with con artists, you’re going to see every plot development coming, including the end. But the charisma of the leads saves the day here. It’s still a fun watch, and provided you don’t go in expecting a laugh-a-minute comedy like Animal House or Ghostbusters, you’ll have a good time.