at one point in this movie there is a staging of an opera that goes completely wrong . but one member of the crowd stands up and cheers , thinking the performance was planned , and applauding it for their efforts . that's " dirty work " in a nutshell . a very different kind of movie . this is not a movie that i can easily review . the critic in me analyzes the structure , plot , acting , characters . . . and tells me this movie is terrible . but the norm macdonald fan in me had me rolling on the floor laughing . this movie plays more like an hbo sketch comedy than a movie . it's a one note concept . mitch and sam need $50000 in order to bribe a doctor to give their father a heart transplant before other more needy patients . realizing they are very good at revenge plots , they open a revenge for hire business , eventually running afoul of a rich businessman played by christopher macdonald ( who after roles in " happy gilmore " and " veronica's closet " seems typcast in this role ) , who sends them to destroy a building that mitch learns is the home of his girlfriend's grandmother , thus leading them to plot against the rich businessman on the night of the grand opening of a new opera house . first the critic in me . the plot is the standard poor guy vs evil rich guy device , where the main character meets the girl of his dreams along the way . here's the catch . none of the characters are sympathetic . they're all selfish jerks who don't care who they hurt in their attempts to do whatever they want . the jokes are juvenile , crude , appealing to the worst elements in people . there's jokes about prostitutes , the homeless , beastiality , anal sex . there's even a subplot that's developed , it seems , only to make jokes about infidelity and incest . and i loved watching it . i was a huge fan of norm macdonald's sarcastic , to-the-point comedy on saturday night live , and this movie is an hour and a half of it . norm macdonald takes a joke , strips it to the core , and tells it like it is with a dry wit . like the scene were he and his friend are learning the ropes at a new construction job . the foreman goes over the basics , which mitch and sam don't understand . how do they get out of it ? by admiting they lied on their resumes , and don't know a thing about construction ! and surprise , they get fired . the characters are incredibly mean-spirited . there's a father who's loud and obnoxious , a gambling addicted doctor played by chevy chase who tells sam of his father's condition by saying " if i were a gambling man i'd put a lot of money on death . " the businessman cole who always has his dog spunky , and does who knows what with it . and then there's mitch and sam , who , thinking they can get $50000 by destroying a building , ponder how their actions would ruin the lives of the residents . " too bad we have to do it , " mitch says . here's a movie where every joke that is executed as it is set up , where you see every punchline coming , where every spot profanity could be used and then is used . at least the film is honest , and makes no mistake that it is anything more than idiotic . but at least it isn't dull , and it isn't predictable . and that's the way it should be . it's sketch comedy , and if you're a fan of norm macdonald , you'll love it . the jokes are crude , the characters are mean to the core , the attitude of the movie is that it just doesn't care . if you don't like norm macdonald , or stupid movies , then you probably won't like this one . the jokes are crude , the characters are mean to the core , the attitude of the movie is that it just doesn't care . so before seeing this one , tune your mindset , and prepare for a slew of norm macdonald humor , gay animal sex , prison rape jokes , uncaring characters , and one last performance from chris farley . the critic in me says ( * ) but i give it an 8 ( * * * ) . i just couldn't stop laughing .
