Mouse Hunt

Mouse Hunt

• DreamWorks

Hilarity of the wackiest order is in store when the Smuntz Brothers (Nathan Lane and Lee Evans) inherit a dilapidated mansion from their string manufacturer father. Their renovation plans, after learning the house is really worth a fortune, hit a snag when they come across the lone occupant: a pesky rodent that continually eludes the brothers' frenzied extermination tactics. Christopher Walken co-stars. 97 min. Standard and Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital Surround, French Dolby Digital Surround; Subtitles: Spanish; biographies; deleted scenes; production notes; theatrical trailers.They've tried Catzilla, a feline so ferocious it can't be euthanized. They've tried booby traps that Rube Goldberg would marvel at. They've even tried Caesar (hilariously played by Christopher Walken), a demented exterminator whose "Squeak Seeker 2000" mouse-cam will infiltrate even the cleverest rodent's secret lair. But the Smuntz brothers Er nie (Nathan Lane) and Lars (British comedian Lee Evans) just can't win against the tenacious mouse that wreaks havoc in the vintage home they've inherited from their father. That's the one-note premise of this chaotic, lavishly produced comedy that starts on a high note and never lets up, eventually leaving the viewer exhausted. The special mouse effects (live-action, animatronic, and computer-generated) are delightful, and the slapstick is frequently ingenious, but the title says it all in a movie that is little more than an elaborate variation of Home Alone. A prime choice for family fun, but it's really just a live-action cartoon that overstays its welcome. It's harmless fun if all you're looking for is a marathon of slapstick gags and pratfalls, and it's notable as the final film appearance of veteran character actor William Hickey, who died in June of 1997, shortly after filming of Mouse Hunt was completed. --Jeff Shannon

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