To begin, let’s look back. The original Overboard, of 1987, is a low note in Garry Marshall‘s grand directorial career and provided a vehicle for lovebirds Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn. It was a flop on release, raking just $26 million, but it was charming enough. There was, and remains, zero need for a remake. Welcome to 2018 where anything is possible, and not in a good way.

The new Overboard is gender-swapped remake where Eugenio Derbez’s spoilt millionaire mistreats mother-of-three Anna Faris but becomes her ‘slave’ once his memory disappears having been thrown ‘overboard’.

Such an odd basic concept needs a lot of help. We’re talking a script with the wit of Nora Ephron, the direction of David Lean, and actors bringing god-tier level performances of charm and humour. This is not the case with Overboard. The script and direction are overtly lazy, and bar the presence of modern technology, it’s not clear it’s from this century.

The actors are given absolutely zero material to work with, with banana peels or cream pies expected as the film goes on. And boy, this film goes on, clocking in at an unfathomable 112 minutes. Eugenio Derbez is the only shining element of this grey, dull experience, with Faris’s talents wasted and restricted to raised eyebrows and chin squeezes.

This film only goes to fuel existing conversations around the churn of Hollywood. No longer are we targeting good films for passable remakes, we’re now suffering mediocre films being atrociously remade.

The greatest crime of any film is to be lazy. To merely accept that what they’ve made, ticks the boxes it needs to, and to go not one millimetre further than they must. It’s just so utterly wasteful of everyone’s time – especially yours.

RATING: 1/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Anna Faris, Eva Longoria, Eugenio Derbez, Emily Maddison

DIRECTOR: Rob Greenberg

WRITERS: Leslie Dixon (story), Bob Fisher (screenplay), Rob Greenberg (screenplay)

SYNOPSIS: A spoiled, wealthy yacht owner is thrown overboard and becomes the target of revenge from his mistreated employee.