Mortdecai (2015) (English Language)

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106min

Cast: Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ewan McGregor…and more

Writers : Eric Aronson, Kyril Bonfiglioli

Johnny Depp stars alongside an all-star cast as eccentric English Aristocrat and art dealer Charlie Mortdecai, recruited by the British government to recover a priceless painting stolen by criminals to fund international terrorism in this action/comedy romp.

When you look at the cast involved and globe-spanning storyline it’s clear that Mortdecai is an ambitious comedy/action/espionage movie but when the locations and cinematography are the most interesting things about the film you know you’re not dealing with a comedy classic.

Although based on a series of successful novels, this movie feels like a mix of the core elements of Austin Powers and The Pink Panther movies but with virtually none of the ingenuity and charm that made those films so memorable and enjoyable.

Mortdecai features a bizarrely ineffective mix of fish-out-of water comedy with puerile humour and big action set-pieces, much of the comedy also comes from the somehow still relevant view of the British as bumbling out-of-touch aristocrats, something we suspect might go down well with audiences outside the UK.

It’s painfully clear that the producers have relied almost entirely on Mr. Depp’s well earned reputation for unforgettably eccentric character creations to drive this film, but even Johnny Depp cannot make Mortdecai anything more than a moderately amusing cocktail of childish comedy featuring oddball characters in improbable situations.