I really want to like Broken Lizard's movies, Super Troopers is one of the best comedies I have ever seen, but none of their subsequent movies even comes close to matching it. In The Slammin' Salmon the waitstaff of a high end seafood restaurant compete against each other to win $10,000 for selling the most food in one night. The eccentric former heavyweight boxer turned restaurant owner (Michael Clark Duncan) is amusing throughout the movie, as are the waitstaff themselves, but only for the last 40 min or so of the film. The big problem with The Slammin' Salmon is that it takes too long to really get going. Its not until the waitstaff finally get fired up about the contest and start sabotaging each other the film becomes truly funny. It's not a bad movie, and it is pretty funny at times, but it really could have been so much better.

I am not afraid to admit that I am a Broken Lizard fan. I dug Super Troopers , but it was Club Dread that made me a fan of the group. A perfect blend of horror and comedy. Vastly underrated, even by Broken Lizard fans. It makes me appreciate the film that much more, it's like the dark horse of the filmography. Beerfest was their next film and again, they scored high in my books. so my excitement rose when I heard there was another Broken Lizard film coming out, The Slammin' Salmon.When the owner of a restaurant owes a Yakuza crime lord $20,000, he decides to hold a competition with the staff. The one who brings in the most money will win a prize. There was something off about this film from the get go, I couldn't put my finger on it until the credits started rolling. Jay Chandrasekhar the director of previous Broken Lizard entries was not the director. Kevin Heffernan was behind the camera. The film isn't poorly directed, just very basic. With Club Dread and Beerfest Chandrasekhar was use to being in the directing chair and would get a little bit more creative with the camera. Heffernan seems a bit timid. The second would be the the film felt familiar. It could be that it's basically another swing at the dinning experience, one which we had earlier with Waiting. The difference being that this is an upscale restaurant, but the jokes, which we have seen before are still there. Some fall flat, others are just right up the groups alley. They also implore the use of twin characters, which we saw in Beerfest. The film stars the usual boys, all doing a great job of course. They have their sense of timing and comedy down pat. Some people don't get or enjoy their comedic nature, but I do. The supporting players are April Bowlby, a waitress who tries to score tips based on her looks and Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) as a waitress who also is trying to become a doctor. Both are great and fit nicely into the film with the boys. The stand out character is without a doubt Michael Clarke Duncan. He has the best lines, the best mannerism and has the most fun with the character. While it is the weakest of the Broken Lizard films (not including Puddle Cruiser) it is still a decent entry. They have yet to disappoint me and if you are a fan of these guys, this film will make you laugh.

A team of waiters is forced to raise $20,000 in one night... and the one who gets the biggest bill will receive $10,000 as a bonus (the loser gets a punch in the ribs). As you might expect, the humor increases as they try to one-up each other! First, I have to give a shout-out to the character Tara (Cobie Smulders). By far the best character in the film -- believable, likable, and just plain wholesome. I hope to see Smulders in a lot more films soon, as she is easily a top-bill-worthy player.I think this is the best Broken Lizard film since "Super Troopers". With "Club Dread" being a flop and "Beer Fest" being hit and miss (still a good film), this one is pretty consistent. Sure, they recycled the twin joke, and some of the ending parts are predictable... but if you've ever worked in a kitchen, you should appreciate this one. (I've seen others say "Waiting" is better. I strongly disagree.)

Following up the excellent comedies 'Super Troopers,' 'Beerfest,' and 'Club Dread,' the comedy troupe of Broken Lizard finally returns after a few years' hiatus with 'The Slammin' Salmon.' The story focuses on a restaurant owned by boxing legend Cleon "Slammin'" Salmon (Michael Clarke Duncan of 'The Green Mile' fame). When he loses an expensive bet to the Yakuza, he forces his restaurant's manager Rich (Kevin Heffernan) to make up the losses with a big night at the restaurant. To do this, the staff (including all the usual Broken Lizard cast) is bribed with vacations, money, and Norah Jones tickets. As expected, chaos & hilarity ensue as the crazy crew of waiters and busboys screw up just about everything possible throughout the night.Before anyone gets into watching 'The Slammin' Salmon,' they should first visit the other Broken Lizard productions to know what they're getting into. 'The Slammin' Salmon,' while not as funny, creative, or perverse, as the troupe's previous films, does have its fair share of comedy. This comes from what seems to be some unusually standard writing from a group that usually creates very wacky situations in their other movies. Like another similar film 'Waiting…' (with Anna Faris and Ryan Reynolds), 'The Slammin' Salmon' hits most of the typical "restaurant" jokes, but never goes as deeply crazy and hilarious as 'Beerfest' or 'Super Troopers.' This was probably the biggest issue the film had. After waiting three years for another Broken Lizard release, I thought this would be just as perversely ridiculous as their past releases, but they seemed to have tamed themselves a bit. The performances made up for the "typical" writing and dialogue with some spot-on comedic performances. Jay Chandrasekhar as Nutz/Zongo was an absolute riot and took the film to a whole new level of funny. No one, however, matched the hilarity of Michael Clarke Duncan as the Slammin' Salmon himself. His over-the-top madness was absolutely the shining element of this film and alone makes it worth watching.Overall, the film has quite a few laugh-out-loud moments but is consistently entertaining all the way through, with the final act coming out as the highlight of the film. Fans of the other restaurant comedy 'Waiting…' along with Broken Lizard's previous releases should certainly give it a watch.Final Verdict: 7/10.-AP3-