Without the rest of the commonly known phrase from which it's been stripped, the title "Shooting Fish" takes on an unknown quality. Several attendees at our screening weren't quite sure what the title meant, and therefore had no idea what kind of film they were going to see. To set matters straight and appease the animal rights folk, the movie has nothing to do pumping aquatic critters full of lead.
Instead, the title is an abbreviation of the saying, "It's as easy as shooting fish in a barrel," referring of course, to something being as simple as say, "Taking candy from a baby" (which would have made an even worse title than what headlines this film). What it's all referring to are the schemes and cons that two swindlers use during their quest to be modern day Robin Hoods.
While the film is pleasant and amusing enough on a sitcom-like level, it suffers from several mild flaws that don't entirely ruin the film, but certainly keep it from ever really taking off. Although the idea of robbing the rich to give to the poor has long been a part of literature and is noble -- if not lawful -- these guys consider themselves "the poor." Pursuing the big take and hoping to fulfill their childhood dreams of one day owning a sprawling estate, these guys go about conning those they deem can afford to lose some money.
To make up for this selfish trait, the two need to be charming or have some sort of redeeming quality for the audience to get behind them and root for their success. Although they're moderately likeable, we never become big fans of their goal and thus always watch the film from a distance. This is mainly because that goal, although cutely displayed during the film's opening when these guys were orphaned boys (at St. Mary's Orphanage of the Tortured Souls, no less), simply isn't that interesting or compelling.
There is the possibility that they may get caught, and that generates a little comic tension, but the lack of a personified antagonist creates another problem. While we "enjoy" their clever schemes at bilking the rich, we never see their victims as deserving what they get, and thus we don't get any pleasure out of seeing them being duped. Had we known something more about them, or had seen that they were bad people or corporations (burning down the rain forests, or laying off employees in profitable times, etc...) then we'd enjoy them getting their just comeuppance. In addition and by doing so, we'd then root for the main characters by default.
The bigger problem, however, is that for this mildly entertaining comedy, it's just not that funny. Sure there are a few moments such as a fun chase through the connecting attics of homes whose owners the guys are trying to swindle with the same set of insulation, and a brief poking at Andrew Lloyd Webber with a play entitled "Dogs" (where nearly everyone is asleep midway through the production), but they never elicit much laughter.
Instead, we mostly get moments such as Dylan making potential corporate buyers sing out the kids' song, "I'm a little teapot, short and stout..." to train a voice recognition computer, the guys living in a wackily decorated and refurbished huge gas tank, and the trio listening to and singing "What the world needs now, is love, sweet, love..." Such moments are cute, but certainly not uproarious, and that's exactly the type of humor this sort of film needs to be successful.
Fortunately, the film's saving grace is its trio of personable, charismatic performers. Dan Futterman ("The Birdcage") perfectly fits the bill as the slick, but likeable con man, while Stuart Townsend ("Trojan Eddie") plays the more sympathetic geek character. Kate Beckinsale ("Much Ado About Nothing") rounds out the trio as the perky, but fatigued medical student who uncovers their rouse, but ultimately helps them succeed.
While there's certainly nothing horrendously wrong with this little picture, it's just a shame that it's not any funnier and doesn't elicit a more favorable response from the audience. Destined to be one of those little seen and quickly forgotten films, it might have shone had its humor been taken to a more outrageous level. As it stands, it's only mildly entertaining with a few humorous moments. We give "Shooting Fish" a 4.5 out of 10.
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