So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993)

Powerful

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

After numerous breakups over what his friends and family consider shallow and a way to avoid commitment, the hard-to-please aspiring poet Mike Myers finally finds himself the perfect match in Nancy Travis... there's only one flaw... she might be an axe murderer! Very Mike Myers humor with lots of buddy comedians in supporting roles or cameos, all taking place in a so-very-'90s San Francisco—this film only works because all the pieces fall into the right place. Surprisingly light-hearted given its title, only getting dark in the third act. Killer (pun?) soundtrack. Travis actually cut off the tip of her finger during a scene at the butcher shop.★★★ (out of four)

The only reasons to watch this film are:(a) you are a Mike Myers scholar, and you need to learn the origin of some of his most oft-repeated character lines in his boffo, bonzo (totally hilarious) Scottish idiom; or(b) you are a Mike Myers scholar, and you need an exhibit illustrating your to-be-published thesis on how Mike Myers cannot act a romantic lead role (this would be exhibit A, his inability to create even one spark with Tia Carrere in Wayne's World is your Exhibit B). So I Married . . . has so much promise at the start. Gorgeous, looping, looming, sweeping shots of San Francisco at night, a rollicking soundtrack opener--the jangly, infectious indie pop song the LA's "There She Goes"--and a funny opening line from Myers about a latte the size of a pizza. What a film this might be, the viewer thinks.But no. Despite a couple rip-roaringly funny character scenes, with Myers playing his own, cartoonishly Scottish, father, some funny bits about a butcher's shop, and very good work by Anthony LaPaglia in a supporting role, the film more or less flops. The funny sequences are fleeting, and they get buried by other scenes where Myers is supposed to be, in turns, dashing, or lusty, or trapped like a winking, assured Cary Grant in the midst of an unfolding whodunit. And in those other scenes, and there are lots of them, Myers doesn't deliver, he does not sell himself or the story with his acting. Myers scholars, this film is for you. All others, let an SNL nerd do the Scottish thing in homage and you'll have seen the movie.

How can the rating be 6.2? The movie is full of fantastic quotes! "Piper down", "Now he's going to cry himself on his huge pillow.", "Sexy little bastard". etc.... How can the rating be 6.2? The movie is full of fantastic quotes! "Piper down", "Now he's going to cry himself on his huge pillow.", "Sexy little bastard". etc.... How can the rating be 6.2? The movie is full of fantastic quotes! "Piper down", "Now he's going to cry himself on his huge pillow.", "Sexy little bastard". etc.... How can the rating be 6.2? The movie is full of fantastic quotes! "Piper down", "Now he's going to cry himself on his huge pillow.", "Sexy little bastard". etc....

Manic in a way that even Austin Powers couldn't match, this vehicle for then-recent SNL grad Mike Myers hasn't aged quite as well as I'd expected. Myers delivers with ease when he's under the guise of a wild, colorful character - his best scenes are as a boisterous, drunken caricature of a father under heavy makeup - but comes off as insecure and off-putting in the more straightforward leading role. For every joke that lands, Myers ricochets three or four duds off his companions' foreheads, lending the impression that he's always on stage and robbing his turn as well-intentioned poet Charlie of a meaningful connection with the audience. Clunky, distracting post-production work and an excessive dose of early '90s pop culture also prove to be tricky obstacles, dating the material and lending the impression that it wasn't quite polished enough for a final release. When it's working, few films from the era are so consistently funny, but those sporadic dots of brilliance aren't quite enough to compensate for the shaky, timid nature of the rest of the story. A great premise with some moments of pure genius, it's probably best enjoyed as a series of expertly trimmed clips on YouTube.