Premise - A self help guru hypnotises Hal into only seeing the inner beauty of people. When he meets Rosemary he falls in love despite her size. It seems that every love story has to fit into one of two categories. There is the tragic love story (Romeo & Juliet) and the 'love conquers all' story. Shallow Hal fits effortlessly into the latter category. It's 'love conquers all' by numbers, treading little new ground and it doesn't seem to care. Almost criminally for a comedy, 'Shallow Hal' is for the most part devoid of laughs. The best stuff is between Jack Black and Jason (Seinfeld) Alexander. In-fact Alexander steals the show, his character is repellent. He is crass and chauvinistic, I loved it! As good as Black is he seems lost here, almost reaching out praying for better material to produce the kind of work I know he's capable of. What he does is good, but he is wasted here. Paltrow is Paltrow in a fat suit, this film does little to change my less than glowing thoughts on her career and abilities (Oscar for Shakespeare In Love, purrrlese!). The suit itself is an impressive piece of latex (or whatever) and is for the most part convincing. Shallow Hal's main problem is that it is nothing more than a cheesy love story that we have seen a hundred (if not more) times before. Sure, it's been given a new set of clothes by the brothers Farrelly, but it is so formulaic. If I was to give away the ending I wouldn't bother with a spoiler space, it's that damn predictable. The Farrelly's style is getting old, real fast. After the tediously mediocre Me, Myself & Irene, the brothers have turned down the gross-out stuff. If anything it shows that the brother are one-trick gross-out pony's who struggle without ass and fart gags to fall back on. A poor, poor film. Saved slightly by Jason Alexander.

3/10 for Shallow Hal. Poster Quote - Poor.