Deep in debt, Charlie (Walter Matthau) tricks his brother-in-law, Herb (Jack Lemmon), into becoming a dance host on a cruise ship with the intent of meeting a rich widow.
You can never really go wrong with the duo of Matthau and Lemmon. Even their less-than-stellar movies are pretty fun. Out to Sea is, unfortunately, one of those less-than-stellar movies, but it still has its moments.
Brent Spiner is a scene stealer as smarmy cruise director Gil Godwyn, a song and dance man raised on a military base. He serves as Herb and Charlie’s foil while Dyan Cannon and Gloria DeHaven step into the roles of romantic interests.
I was also thrilled to see Rue McClanahan pop up as the cruise ship’s owner. The Golden Girls is one of my favorite shows, so it’s always a pleasure to see one of them on screen, especially now that they’ve all passed.
There are the hijinks you would expect, some of which are pretty entertaining, but for the most part, they all feel recycled. Unfortunately, it’s a very by-the-book screwball comedy that injects nothing new into the genre.
I can see this as an excuse to get Matthau and Lemmon back on screen together, but it’s been done many times before and with many better movies. Out to Sea is fine for what it is, especially if you’re just looking for something that doesn’t require paying a lot of attention. This is the kind of movie you use as background noise while focusing on doing something else.
This review seems harsh. Let me say it’s not a terrible movie! It’s just not a good movie. It’s mediocre, but I enjoyed it for Matthau and Lemmon’s chemistry, which was still evident even this far into their careers.
The official ScreenAge Newsletter has arrived! Subscribe to receive a semi-regular round-up of all our exclusive content, including reviews, editorials, Top 100 lists, and more! C'mon, we know you want to venture further into the Wasteland with us!
