The In-Laws

A forgettable, yet somewhat enjoyable, remake of the 1979 film that starred Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks step into the roles of future in-laws who live very different lives, Douglas being a rogue CIA agent and Brooks being a podiatrist. The Douglas character is embroiled in a mission to mess with a drug dealer who is trying to steal a stealth submarine, and he pulls Brooks along for the ride. The humor of the film derives from Brooks’ reactions to skydiving, flying, fistfights and the lot. Nothing groundbreaking here, but Brooks and Douglas are in fine form, so they make up for the script’s lack of originality. The original was much better, thanks to an all-time great performance from Arkin.