slavetotherave

My friend and I were watching Office Space yesterday because he'd never seen it, and he wanted to because everyone keeps telling him how great it is. But after I watched it for about the 10th time, I notice that it's wonderful up until the last third of the movie, and after that it's spent.

I noticed that when I watched Shaun of the Dead, too. I love that movie, but to me it really drags as soon as they get to the Winchester. Of course there are still funny moments every now and then, but for the most part, it's flat.

Of course this occurs with any type of movie, but I think it's most jarring for comedies.

Furthermore, is this because of the script? The director or actors? Is it just because it's usually the same jokes over and over and by the end we're sick of 'em? Or maybe the central plot of the movie has to take over at some point, and the writer fails to make the central plot amusing enough to be on par with the smaller jokes throughout the movie.

So then, are there any movies that don't blow their load too early?

Of course this is all a matter of opinion.

RichC2

The last 3rd is when the plot takes over. Up until then, the movie is stringing along, going off jokes, but when the 3rd rolls around, they actually try to keep it a compotent movie by having the plot resolve, that goes for Office Space (the "scam") and Shaun of the Dead (where it becomes more like a traditional zombie movie). Sure they could have made the parts more comedic, but it does balance it pretty well. This also applies to 40-Year-Old Virgin and Wedding Crashers.

The ones that try to keep the funny going tend to be a little more "lax" in terms of plotting - Old School, Road Trip, and Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle come to mind.

NitroJMS

I thought Wedding Crashers begins to fall apart in the third act. It goes from a comedy to wishy washy date movie.

slavetotherave

And I agree with this. The plot does have to come in at some point in order to be a respectable film, more or less. There's always exceptions. However, there should be a way to spread the amusement consistently throughout the movie.

One film that I thought of that I found I consistently enjoy all the way through is The Big Lebowski. Some people love it, others hate it. But I feel like, for the most part, the plot continues throughout the whole film. So you're not left with a wad of jokes at the forefront (and in the trailers) and a fairly joke-free conclusion at the end.

I think an unfunny third act would be hazardous for a comedy movie. Because the third act is most fresh on your mind when you walk away, it could be what most people think of when they discuss whether or not they enjoyed it. I know for Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (I know it's not a comedy), the only thing I ever heard anyone talk about was the 45 minute ending sequence.

Mondo Kane

Almost all Ron Shelton movies

OldBoy

I wholly agree with "Office Space".

IDrinkMolson

Bruce Almighty for me.

Shannon Nutt

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
The Naked Gun
Ghostbusters

awmurray

Also, IMO, a lot of Farrelly brother's movies:

Dumb and Dumber
There's Something About Mary
Kingpin

and to a lesser extent:

Me, Myself & Irene

Giantrobo

40 Year Old Virgin comes real close to losin' it towards the end.

rennervision

Disrespecting a Sam Raimi/Bruce Campbell film on the internet is probably not the wisest thing to attempt, but I'll just come out and say "Army of Darkness" goes from being great in the first two acts, to dull in the third act.

Raimi himself even says the movie loses something at that point, and he suggests it's because Ash stops being an interesting character once he becomes noble. I would say that is a good theory.

I always felt the scope of what they were trying to attempt in the third act simply doesn't work with the budget they had. Raimi wanted a grand battle of knights versus a skeleton army. To me it seems more like a few actors on a small sound stage trying to come across as an epic pre-Lord of the Rings battle scene, and it simply doesn't work. If Raimi had at least allowed "Bad Ash" to look more like Bruce Campbell so you could see his expressive face, I think that would have improved the third act immensely.

dhmac

...But that was the plot: him losin' it at the end!

Mountain Biker

Another vote for There's Something About Mary

GoldenJCJ

One that come to mind are War of the Worlds (Spielberg), falls apart about the time

as far as comedies: Shrek seems to lose it's steam about halfway through

Rival11

Disagree, for me anyway - that's when the movie went up one level.

mndtrp

Ending to Monty Python's Holy Grail.

Although, I think that was kind of the point.

ShallowHal

Back when my VCR was the coolest thing I had So I Married An Axe Murderer saw alot of use. The first Austin Powers is great, too. I still crack up when Hurley is eating breakfast (melons, sausage). I guess I like Mike Myers!

Drop

I agree about WotW, but the last scene is a bit of a stinker. It did not ruin the movie for, though, I still think it's great.

DRG

Jeepers Creepers, after the first half hour.

Darkness Falls, after the first ten minutes.

matome

I loved Romy & Michele's High School Reunion up until the dumbass "Time After Time" dance at the end.

cdollaz

I think the first hour of The Breakfast Club is the funniest hour ever in the movies, but the last third of the movie drops off in terms of funny.

UAIOE

"Last Action Hero" loses alot of steam when it reaches the third act.

It wasn't as witty and funny when they went to the real world....plus it turned into the movies it was making fun of.

Fok

South Park movie and Team America loses it in the third act too

SuprVgeta

Movies that suck after the first half, four words: War of the Worlds.

Jaymole

For some reason, the first movie that entered my mind when I read this thread was Better Off Dead.