Shannon Elizabeth, Jerry O'Connell and Amber Smith in "Tomcats."

MOVIE INFORMATION

With 10 as a must-see, David gives this film a: Stars: Jerry O'Connell and Shannon Elizabeth Director: Gregory Poirier Rated: R, with strong sexual content including dialogue and language Length: 92 minutes

ROCHESTERCRITIQUE

Having seen this film, how would you rate it? 10 5 9 4 8 3 7 2 6 1

By David Lee
Democrat and Chronicle

(March 30, 2001) -- If the word Tomcats doesn't shed too much light on the movie it titles, consider this alternative: Gross-Out Movies' Greatest Hits.

Like a compilation album, it offers some pleasingly familiar fare, but at the expense of creating anything with a memorable identity. As is the case in too many of those records, "greatest" is a loosely used term.

The specific gags -- which usually dwell on one or two parts of the body -- are a variation of some we've seen before.

This movie's implausible plot describes a cartoonist named Michael Delaney (Jerry O'Connell), who has 30 days to pay off a $51,000 gambling debt. His only hope is to cash in on a pool that he and his friends started years earlier, to be awarded to the last remaining bachelor among the group.

One other swinger stands in the way, a boorish womanizer named Kyle Brenner (Jake Busey). To win the prize, Delaney cuts a deal with the stunning Natalie Parker (a surprisingly charming Shannon Elizabeth), whose mission is to betroth Brenner.

The tale has more holes than a sieve, but such shortcomings are largely irrelevant. It's not the story, but the sadomasochistic librarian, errant testicle and untimely priapism that drive this movie.

A fun diatribe by Garry Marshall (the popular TV producer appears uncredited) rounds out the fun, but the routines drag on. First-time director Gregory Poirier should have nourished the growing chemistry between Parker and Delaney, which sadly withers near the middle of the movie.

Instead, he often reverts to spoofing (or even copying) other movies with little effect. One scene, where the only bit of dialogue is the word, "dude," is so blatantly cribbed from Basketball that it's painful to watch.

In the end, Tomcats will rest snugly in the pantheon of frat-house DVDs -- right between Road Trip and Girls Gone Wild: College Spring Break Uncensored.