NIGHT AT THE ROXBURY

"Destined to be one of the year's worst films, it's certainly the most pointless one. You see, there's this facile show on American television called Saturday Night Live which has infested popular American culture with many a creation. From little skits, big movies have been borne, and with few exceptions, most have been dismal failures, and few have been bothered to even gain a release beyond the Land of the Free. Ineptly directed by John Fortenberry, who has no sense of timing or invention, the film is one overlong joke backed up by a repetitious soundtrack, and comedy that is ridiculously forced and amateurish. Backed up by some truly woeful performances by its principals and a shocking Richard Grieco (no wonder he's rarely seen these days), A Night at the Roxbury is a night you'd be well advised to skip."
Paul Fischer

"Along with launching the big screen careers of stars like John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Eddie Murphy and Dan Ayckroyd, U.S. television's long-running Saturday Night Live has attempted, from time to time, to give the full movie treatment to some of its more popular weekly sketches as well. So far, only Wayne's World (and its sequel) has managed to make a reasonable dent at the box office. The less said about Coneheads the better. When Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan's disco wannabes the Mutabi brothers became one of Saturday Night Live's most popular creations, it was inevitable that the two comics would be invited to transfer their nerdy schtick to the big screen. Unfortunately with no real plot to hide behind, A Night At The Roxbury strands Ferrell and Kattan in the naked headlights of a medium with entirely different demands. As past experience has often shown, what works as a ten minute comedy skit on television seldom passes scrutiny as a 90 minute movie. And while it's not impossible to prop up a slim premise with a virtuoso performance, as Robin Williams did in Mrs Doubtfire, Ferrell and Kattan, judged solely on their work here, still have a long comic apprenticeship to go. The disco dance number is good, though."
Leo Cameron

"If you fart-ass around all your life, it seems, you will be led to greater things. At least, that's what happens in A Night at the Roxbury, a comedy of errors that is a big one to begin with. There is barely enough material here to maintain a five minute skit, let alone a ninety minute feature that bumbles, stumbles and fumbles through its running time. If you're akin to this type of silly, silly humor, the film might be goofy enough to warrant a sitting - but otherwise, I'd advise everybody to stay well clear of this pitiable piece. I actually enjoyed the first few minutes of this film, before the ridiculously unintelligent characters became irritating, and before the script became boring and problematic. The acting by Saturday Night Live regulars Will Ferrel and Chris Kattan is predictably awful; the only time they appeal is amongst the bright and blurring lights of discos. To give you an example of the type of humor A Night at Roxbury generates, I'll leave with a short conversation between the two main characters: Doug: You can take our car, and you can take our keys, but you cannot take away our dreams! Steve: Yeah, because we're sleeping when we have them! Is that what you call funny? I thought not."
Luke Buckmaster, Teen Critic