DEATH BECOMES HER

SYNOPSIS: Fourteen years after Madeline steals Helens fiancé Ernest, Helen together with the now alcoholic and downtrodden Ernest plots a plan to kill Madeline. Hovewer, due to Madeline having taken an elixir that gives her eternal life just killing her won't suffice.

BOTTOM LINE: You'd think with all the talent involved that this would be an excellent comedy experience. Well, sometimes it is, but mostly it isn't. This movie relies far too much on its' spectacular special effects, wasting the prodigious talents of its actors with its in your face visuals. This is a freight train of anger, brutality and bitchiness that is truly funny in some moments, however, the script just doesn't give our trio anywhere to go from there. The basic plot has two famous, aging women fighting over the plastic surgeon who will keep them looking young until they discover a magic potion that eliminates that worry for good. After several severe accidents, which should have killed them, they need their man more than ever to keep their dying flesh maintained. It seems they can't die, but their bodies don't know that. Streep and Hawn give amazingly physical performances that prove their comedic chops, but since they are both such unredeemable human beings you never connect with their struggle for eternal youth. Willis puts in a good turn as the mousy, tortured husband who finally gets his revenge on the two harpies who made his life a living hell. This is as dark a comedy as you will find, unfortunately it has no heart to alleviate the blackness of these character's souls. An empty effects masterpiece.