Starring Marlon Wayans, David Spade, and Tamara Taylor Directed by Penelope Spheeris Rated PG-13, with profanity, bathroom and sex humor Running time 90 minutes Jack gives this film a rating of 3 out of 10

By Jack Garner
Democrat and Chronicle

(Feb. 20, 1998) -- A silly exercise in rubber-faced, rubber-legged antics, Senseless does offer a few funny moments. Still, it's a disappointing solo outing for the youngest Wayans.

Marlon showed considerable talent for physical comedy as a supporting actor, with his brothers, in Mo' Money, and as co-star of The Sixth Man. Too bad he's let down here by a scatter-gun script and slipshod direction.

Wayans plays Darryl Witherspoon, a bright economics student whose college future is jeopardized by a lack of funds. He does anything he can to make money -- waits tables, sells fluids to blood and sperm banks, tries to win a prestigious scholarship.

Then he signs up for a high-paying medical experiment that's supposed to heighten his senses. It does -- until an overdose makes the process reverse.

Suddenly Darryl is blind, then deaf. Then he loses his senses of touch, taste and smell, one at a time. This triggers many -- too many -- predictable pratfalls and miscues.

Along the way, the defects threaten his attempts to beat his frat-boy rival (David Spade) for a major economics prize. His wacky behavior also undermines his attempts to woo a lovely co-ed (Tamara Taylor) and causes chaos when he joins the hockey team.

Several of Wayans' bits offer the energy and hilarity of first-rate TV sketch comedy. But Senseless lacks the emotional weight and character development to sustain its length. And when a script has to fall back on tired flatulence jokes, you know it's out of gas.