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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: 20th Century Fox
Salesrank: 11345
Released: July 31, 2007 |
| Our Price: $7.00 |
| Used Price: $1.98 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Based on four best-selling non-fiction books of over 700 Darwin Award cases, The Darwin Awards takes a darkly comic view at the people who risk their lives pursuing a crazy idea, only to end up improving the human race by removing themselves from the gene pool and thus earning a "Darwin" award. Winona Ryder stars as an insurance claims investigator, along with Joseph Fiennes as a forensic detective, who team up to investigate potential Darwin Award winners.
Description of The Darwin Awards:
Loosely based on the book series of the same name, The Darwin Awards is a wry indie film that deals with the premise that some people will live long and prosperous lives, while the weaker will weed themselves out by committing unbelievably stupid acts (such as smashing into a high-rise window to prove it's shatterproof, or using dynamite as a means to make a small hole for ice fishing). The film stars Joseph Fiennes as Michael, a brilliant profiler for the San Francisco police department who has an unusual quirk: When he sees blood, he faints. This trait proves to be his undoing when he catches a serial killer who happens to have a bloody nose. As the newspaper headline screams the following day, "Officer Faints; Killer Runs Free." Kicked off the police force, Michael redefines himself as a risk management assessor for an insurance company. Paired with fellow investigator Siri (Winona Ryder), the two traipse across the country to determine whether their company should pay out premiums to the victims of unnecessarily idiotic acts, like the vacationing British couple whose understanding of a RV's "cruise control" has little to do with reality; or the two stoned Metallica fans literally dying to see the band in concert. Injecting just enough hinky characteristics into his role to make Michael truly weird, Fiennes is excellent in his role. And while Ryder is as lovely as ever, she is still too coltish to be completely believable as a foul-mouthed, seen-it-all, done-it-all ballbuster. Featuring appearances by David Arquette, Lukas Haas, Metallica, beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage (both from the Discovery Channel's MythBusters), and Chris Penn in his last role before his 2006 death, The Darwin Awards has its share of disjointed moments. And it's not the scratch-your-head antics that are unbelievable so much as some of the minor plot points, such as a film grad student (Wilmer Valderrama) having complete access to film Michael and his investigations (and the money to fly off wherever Michael and Siri do). Still, the film offers fine performances (especially by Arquette as a small-town man trying to impress his wife, played by Juliette Lewis) and an unusual premise. --Jae-Ha Kim
The Darwin Awards Reviews:
IS THIS GENE POOL MURKY OR WHAT? 
2009-01-01 - You have heard about the man who boosted his Chevvy to the max with a USAF jet booster pack? No? Well you should have. Yes? Well, it's in here and much funnier to watch than anything you could say in words. The one about the dopeheads who fence-crash a Metallica concert? The dynamite ice-fishing trip with a dog who likes to play fetch? All these people eliminated themselves from the human gene pool with a spontaneous verve and aplomb which would fool you into thinking they had brains and a plan, if only these awards were not posthumous.
All these and more are in here, brilliantly packaged with great performances. There are lots of laughs in here, but lots of serious thought-provoking moments too. The wraparound story of the slasher-hunt, the geek with the video project, the fascinating yet spookily statistical mind-reading insurance investigator rookie who cannot stand the sight of blood, or even ketchup if it looks like blood? The road-hardened femme fatale? Watch this, it keeps you guessing, it's good. In fact, it's a keeper.
Enjoyable 
2008-08-28 - As a software professional, I've followed the Darwin Awards on the web for many years. So, when I saw the title of this film, I just couldn't keep it out of my shopping cart. The movie is nothing deep and won't change the world, but it was quite enjoyable and reasonably true to its title.
My only disappointment... not enough scenes including the phrase "Hey, watch this!".
I liked this movie.
2008-04-28 - This is a good movie to watch, I reccommend renting it-or buying it. It's incredable to see the unbelievable ways people have died, doing some really stupid things. If you've never heard of the "Darwin Awards" before, google it. it's very interesting. I like this this movie, I give 2 thumbs up.
Why do I like this movie?
2008-02-27 - Goofy. Tragic. But why am I laughing? Joseph Fiennes is a Sherlock/ genius in his own world that can't fit into ours. He can't handle the sight of blood, afraid of women, guilty over a botched police collar of a serial killer, and fastidious about safety. Winona Ryder is his foible picking Watson. Two depressed misfits on a journey trying to solve stupid and often fatal insurance claims.
If you like dark, quirky comedies, e.g., The Big Lebowski, or if you like road trip movies, you'll like this. The leads work wonderfully together. Both Ryder and Fiennes need more comedy and less drama in their lives, and they're good at it. The 'cases' are hilarious, but I really enjoyed the 'Odd Couple' leads duking it out as their personalities grate on each other in a tortured, sex-tensed, romantic sort of way.
The other story involving the search for a serial killer is put in there to promote the big climax, and the Peeping-Tom, worthless, documentary student is silly but provides humorous asides.
It's a night of escapism at other people's, who are not at our level of evolutionary development, expense.
Surprisingly funny
2008-01-26 - Although the pseudodocumentary angle seemed a little superfluous, overall I really enjoyed this movie. It was a lot funnier than I expected, with plenty of slapstick comedy, but most of it was anchored with more intelligent humor behind it. Which is a little ironic when you consider what The Darwin Awards are actually about. There's a cursory love story as well, which manages to feel kind of natural, not outrageously forced. Overall, I liked it.
