The Ten Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
If He'd meant the commandments literally, He'd have written them in stone.
Ten stories, each inspired by one of the ten commandments.
| Jessica Alba | Liz Anne Blazer |
| Adam Brody | Stephen Montgomery |
| Bobby Cannavale | Marty McBride |
| Rob Corddry | Duane Rosenblum |
| Famke Janssen | Gretchen Reigert |
| Kerri Kenney | Bernice |
| Ken Marino | Dr. Glenn Richie |
| A.D. Miles | Oliver Jennings |
| Gretchen Mol | Gloria Jennings |
| Oliver Platt | Marc Jacobson |
| Paul Rudd | Jeff Reigert |
| Winona Ryder | Kelly LaFonda |
| Liev Schreiber | Ray Johnson |
| Ron Silver | Fielding Barnes |
| Jason Sudeikis | Tony Contiella |
| David Wain |
6.60 out of 10 (1706 votes)
Visitor Reviews
horrible
posted on 29 Aug 2009somehow, this was labeled a comedy. these guys are so self-satisfied they have no capacity to scrutinize their work. you know, weed out unfunny stuff, force yourself to step it up. these feel like the result of some late-night pot smoking session by 14 year-old boys. how these actors signed on for this is a mystery. i was at a screening at SXSW and watched half the audience walk out. morbid curiosity drove me into my seat. how bad would it be? the answer: horrible.Kudos to the actors for giving it their best shot. the only good one was #2.
Horrible
posted on 27 Aug 2009Where to start? Poorly directed? Check.Terrible plot? Check.Bad acting? Check.Un-funny jokes? Check.So bad, it went straight to cable? Check.Good reviews only written by friends and family of the director? Check.This is a sad excuse for a movie, and a waste of film. I can only imagine that all the "good" reviews have been placed on this site by studio stooges and promo people. Because, certainly, no real folks watched this film.Save your money, and go see National Treasure Two or the new Indiana Jones movie.
Proof that silly doesn't equal funny
posted on 15 Aug 2009Watching old Monty Python movies or "Kentucky Fried Movie" might lead to the assumption that silliness always equals good comedy which the right people will "get" while the others won't. Well, that assumption is wrong. Behind all surreal humor has to be some thought, some truth to make it funny. Monty Python and the minds behind KFM got that, the makers of "The Ten" didn't. There's no thought at all in this movie, just random, unfunny emptiness.What's fascinating is that producers could actually talk actors with a relatively good reputation into this. Paul Rudd, Adam Brody, Winona Ryder, Liev Schreiber, Oliver Platt, Janeane Garofalo and Gretchen Mol may not exactly be A-list actors in this day and age, but they sure are too good for this crap. I have no idea what Famke Janssen is doing acting in "The Ten", and Jessica Alba appearing here means that she was in TWO of this year's worst comedies (the second one being "The Love Guru"). Seriously, "The Ten" is so bad you just want to shout to God to make it stop. It's painfully unfunny and besides it doesn't have anything to do with the Ten Commandments, which somebody probably thought was funny in itself. It's not. Dammit, this is one annoying movie.
Funniest Movie of the Summer
posted on 09 Aug 2009This movie is just balls-out goofy fun! Bravo David Wain! Please don't wait another 10 years to make another movie. This flick is definitely not for everyone. A sense of humor is required. I realize mainstream comedies are all about people getting hit in the head with champagne corks, tennis balls and various food items, but other things are funny, too. There's more to comedy than funny faces, crazed animals lunging at throats and obvious jokes you see coming a mile away. Not that The Ten is high-brow humor, it just comes from a different place than most Americans are used to. Ever notice how when you go to see a comedy people in the theater always laugh the hardest at gags they already saw 20 times in the trailer? Too many people need to be told when to laugh and don't know how to react when something comes out of left field. And The Ten comes from far left field. Those of you who love this movie should get STELLA on DVD and laugh your asses off at the antics of Wain, Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter. Those of you who hated this movie can go fly a kite!
The Ten Scores a Ten
posted on 26 Jul 2009As a huge fan of David Wain, I was excited just walking into the theater. The director, cast, writers, everything looked to be amazing. And it was. The superstar cast nailed the absurdist humor while staying grounded in their realities. The movie's vignette structure is reminiscent of Woody Allen's "Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask" (1972). You can see Woody Allen's humor influenced not just the structure but much of the humor. Still, David Wain and Ken Marino did an excellent job writing in their own unique style. "The Ten" is a superb film and it is saddening to know it was released on a mere six theaters.
Big Stinkin Turd of a Movie
posted on 12 Jul 2009There's a cartoon rhino in this film who lays big stinkin turds everywhere. That's a good description of this movie.There was an Exodus from the theater starting about halfway through.It's just a loose collection of sketches that have original concepts -- but like an SNL sketch, they just keep pounding the same joke in over and over into boredom.Forget about the Ten Commandments -- it's really not about them or religion -- or anything much. There's no satire even.If you think "oh I love dirty comedies" -- you'll be disappointed. There's no naked breasts. Just a lot of fairly unattractive naked men and endless ass-raping mentions.I like "dirty and brilliant", but "dirty and lame" is a sin against comedy.
The Bible itself is probably funnier.
posted on 22 Jun 2009I had middling expectations for what I expected to be a clever comedy spoofing the 10 commandments, but this movie fell flat on its ass within the first 10 seconds of Paul Rudd's painfully wooden narrative. This movie was took all of my goodwill and sympathy (aka. stored-up pity laughs) for the "fresh, unconventional indie film with a small budget", kicked it in the groin, smacked it over the head with a rusty shovel, and left it by the side of the road to die. A *horrifically* bad attempt at satire on a subject so ripe for parody the phrase "shooting fish in a barrel" comes to mind.The only bright spots were Liev Schreiber (with impressive comedic timing) and perhaps Winona Ryder's vignette. I have no idea why Famke Janssen was even cast.To sum up; It was rubbish. The acting sucked. The script sucked. The jokes bombed. It wasn't clever or witty at all. Barely watchable.
Funny film for smart people
posted on 14 Jun 2009This will not be everyone's cup o' tea. If you are an avid fan of, oh I dunno, Adam Sandler or Wil Ferrel films, then you might want to steer clear of this one.It basically consists of 10 disparate stories that actually intertwine. Each story loosely concerns one of the 10 Commandments. Introducing each "parable" is Paul Rudd's character, who is involved in a "parable" of his own.The comedy ranges from the scatological to the ridiculous to the satirical. At times it is a groaner and other times downright laugh-out-loud funny.Enjoy.
In the movie, THE TEN, the narrator introduces ten dramatizations where
posted on 12 Jun 2009After having viewed this stinker, I can say 'Renter beware!' The jacket indicated a positive 'Thumbs Up' from the TV reviewers. What a mislead.I recall really laughing only once and can't pinpoint what scene sparked that laugh. I think it arose in the skit around the 4th commandmentMany scenes were less funny than uncomfortable, The first commandment stretch went on far too long. On a parachuting excursion with friends, an excited guy jumps without his chute, survives his free fall but buries his lower body in the earth from which he can't be extricated without death and somehow inspires people, has a TV show, enjoys adulation and is abandoned as fickle world moves on. Anything funny? No!We all break the commandments. We're human. Sometimes what we do can be amusing, laughable, poignant, sad. What THE TEN captures is when our sins are stupid or abasing of self and others. I guess that captures SIN well, but it's not side-splitting comedy.
Horrible
posted on 06 Jun 2009This movie is one out of the very few movies I actually turned off. Seriously the humor is lost on me and probably on everyone with a normal sense of humor.The storyline is garbage, the jokes are garbage, the cast leave a lot to be desired.... I actually wondered why some of the actors in this movie signed away their reputation to this horrible attempt at a comedy.2 out of 10 and that's because I think the blonde in the second story was cute, otherwise the movie would have gotten a 1.There's nothing good about this movie I can add or think of. Please do not watch this movie...
Fascist drivel
posted on 04 Jun 2009This movie is terrorism in a can. I walked out in 20 minutes and spent the next 20 registering here to complain. 'The State' was funny while I was growing up, but watching its comedians inflict such misery on my adult years makes a person weep. The only interesting part was Mario Bello in the trailers and the cute girl three seats away from me. She walked out, too. Seriously, watching this was like taking an eye-dropper of uranium and making myself blind. Buy the DVD when it comes out and make jewlery for Sudanese refugees with it. I'm still feeling the pain of having been subjected to this. Watching it will get you UN-laid.
A must for fans of The State, but certainly not for all tastes
posted on 27 May 2009Most people will probably find this comedy unfunny, but, as a huge fan of MTV's sketch comedy The State and the subsequent projects of its stars, notably Stella and Reno 911, I was delighted at The Ten. It's very weird comedy, and sometimes the humor is more of the "huh?" type than the laugh-out-loud type. I enjoyed it all. Where many of the troupe's movies have been lame (see, or don't see, rather, Balls of Fury), The Ten works because it basically is sketch comedy. There are ten stories based on the Ten Commandments, with a bizarre wrap-around story involving Paul Rudd and Famke Janssen. Most of the characters in these stories show up elsewhere in other sketches. The funniest part of the film is Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbors Goods, where two neighbors, Joe Lo Truglio (of The State) and Liev Schreiber, start a competition to see who can buy the most CAT scan machines (of all things). I also loved the segment based on Thou Shalt Remember the Sabbath, where a husband skips church to hang around naked with his guy friends, also naked, listening to Roberta Flack records. Some of the other sketches are, of course, less funny, but personally I didn't dislike any of them. Any fan of The State has to see the movie, because I do believe that every single member of that troupe appears, many in mere cameos. I liked Wain's Wet Hot American Summer to an extent, but The Ten is even more satisfying.
A poorly constructed, offensive and dull set of comedies
posted on 19 May 2009It has been so long since I've had the urge to walk out on a film... but I stayed through this one just to see the credits. I wanted to really make sure that people I had had great respect for in previous incarnations had made this piece of trash. Unfortunately they had.Half the theater walked out while I was watching, however. More power to them.I am an atheist, yet I found this religiously offensive. I am a liberal, yet I found this politically offensive. I am an independent film lover, but I found this cinematicly offensive. There were a few laughs, to be sure, but most of what the creators thought was funny I wish they had kept to themselves.
Indulgent, unfocused and shallow- still through the eyes of a decent comic though
posted on 17 May 2009Disappointingly unfulfilled comedy from talented comedian David Wain sadly plays out like ten glorified sketches, in a larger budget, with less of a scope. The undercooked way that Paul Rudd clumsily narrates his way through these half-baked stories feels vacant enough, but almost all of these brief segments written to underscore each individual commandment in a humorous light fails to engage as well. As unique and perceptive as Wain and company's humor tends to be, this project simply pales in comparison to the modest cult success which was Wain's previous feature film Wet Hot American Summer.Here the segments just kind of drift by with a hollow sort of pace, occasionally pulling out an impressive joke or two along the way, but feels so content to treat itself like the low-grade project it feels of that The Ten misses many opportunities presented and fails to transcend it's tele-vision roots.
Not worth it
posted on 07 May 2009I know what all you pro-"The Ten" people are thinking: I don't get it because it's David Wain humor. However, I saw Wet Hot American Summer, and I thought it was hilarious. The Ten, on the other hand, was so bad. There were only a couple humorous parts, and even those were on the border of "funny" and "was that supposed to slide as a joke". Really, really bad. The only reason I rented it was because of Paul Rudd, and even he wasn't funny in it. I don't understand how all these big names got into this movie. What the hell was Jessica Alba doing in there? Doesn't she have better things to do? I feel like all the big name actors in this movie are either friends with David Wain, just doing favors, or are bored out of their minds. Movies like these give me faith that someday I will be able to make a movie. If The Ten can be made, why not anything else?
A totally fun movie-worth seeing.
posted on 25 Apr 2009This movie is comprised of 10 sketches that contain the absurdity of The State and the hilarity of Wet Hot American Summer. The sketches are not all winners but the great ones have Liev Schreiber bringing his AMAZING talent to a crazy situation, Rob Cordry as a lovable rapist and a great great "foreign" film. It's pretty hilarious. This movie is no Wet Hot American Summer--but what is? There are some AMAZING parts of it and Paul Rudd has a great through line and continues to impress. Some great walk-ons and some great freak outs. I highly recommend it if you like The State, Wet Hot American Summer or Stella. It won't change your life but it will totally put you in a good mood and give you a great laugh.
I quit watching after 20 minutes
posted on 19 Apr 2009I really really wish IMDb would allow negative *stars*, maybe 'Bombs' to be awarded as well. Then this movie would get a -10! I checked the ratings here to see if it was worth-while to watch the rest of 'The Ten', and I'd like to say thank you to all the comment authors here, who have certainly helped me make up my mind.If I never see the rest of 'The Ten', it will be 21 minutes too soon! I think the 1 star I awarded is way too high!Lastly, how is a show that is a Comedy have spoilers, unless it is in the revealing of the punchline(s)? If that is the case, no one could for this stupid movie! Hmmmm..... is that a spoiler?
Where's the funny stuff ?
posted on 15 Apr 2009Wow that movie is bad . It had potential for sure (hence why so many "big" names in the cast) but failed to deliver big time . I wasted ....way too much time of my life watching this . The only reason I finished it is because I was @ work without anything else to do . Stay away from this miserable attempt @ comedy unless you are suffering from Insomnia or you have no more dishes to do . The "stories" are not even remotely relating to the 10 commandment's . I ain't a religious folk , far from it but I would understand why religious group would be offended by it .So I'm at the end of that boredom fest and it's turning into a musical !!!!!!!!! The "strong" points of this are : 1- Winona (she totally rocked that movie) 2- Liev Schrieber as the jealous guy . 3- that's pretty much it The weak points 1 to 5580 : Every seconds this boredom fest has .
Thou shalt not see this film...
posted on 11 Apr 2009If The Ten, directed by David Wain who helmed Wet Hot American Summer, prior to release had been shipped back to the editing room, hacked to pieces, and renamed "The Three and some random skits from the Other Seven", I may be giving this film a positive review. Unfortunately, it is not as such and thusly we are forced to sit through a number of flat and unfunny parodies that are about the quality of a rejected Mad TV gag. At times the skits careen so wildly of course from the commandments message they are referencing, it becomes inane and incoherent. Let me just say that any movie that achieves in making Paul Rudd unfunny, is dead on arrival.But, as I indicated above, The Ten is not totally devoid of merit, as there were a few short stories that were actually quite hilarious. These shorts could easily have been helmed by Will Ferrell, just to give you an idea of the style of comedy employed. The Ten even has a simplistically ingenious premise, spinning and warping the messages of the Ten Commandments to the extreme, which results in a sometimes quirky and sometimes disastrous experience. Starring Winona Ryder, who, to give you a clue at the average quality of the material is the love interest of a ventriloquist dummy, Adam Brody, Liev Schreiber, Jessica Alba, Ken Marino, Famke Janssen and others who appear in multiple skits in reoccurring roles. Paul Rudd narrates the interludes between stories, and as I mentioned before, he is given nothing to work with. After being so constantly brilliant in The 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up and even in Friends, it is depressing to view him so lifeless. These intermissions drag so long at times that I simply wanted him to shut up, which is something I have never had the inclination to direct at such a comedic talent in the past.The stories that succeed the most are those that reference the commandments, thou shall not take the lords name in vain, you shall not bear false witness against your neighbour, thou shall not kill and thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife. (Which is the conclusion of thou shall not kill) My favourite being the middle former, which constitutes Liev Schreiber competing against his neighbour to collect the most CAT scan machines, and destroying his family in the process. The double part vignette that I enjoyed features Ken Marino as a doctor who leaves a pair of scissors inside a patient as "a goof" and is subsequently sentenced to life in prison; this is thou shall not kill. The second part, is very funny, and constitutes Marino's character coveting his neighbour in prison, longing to be their bitch, instead of that of his current cellmate. If more of the stories had been like this, The Ten could have ended up wildly successful. The stories (or parts of stories) that succeed are those that are clear representations of the source, which follows the golden rule of shows like the Simpson's, in that such a show gets funnier the older the viewer, as more of the satire is familiar.The ending is just as terrible as the Rudd interludes, which seems to resemble a regurgitated re-imagining of the finale of the 40 Year Old Virgin with the cast erupting in song. It is as if Rudd approached Wain and said that this approach had worked so well in his previous films that they may as well attempt it again. I can't hep but think this could have been successful if it had stayed in a sketch comedy show, but The Ten has no substance for a full length feature. I think they should have preformed one more, lesser known commandment, reading: thou shall not subject thyself to said torment in thy quest for merriment.View all my reviews at Simon Says Movie Reviews: www.simonsaysmovies.blogspot.com
I really WANTED not to like this film...
posted on 29 Aug 2009I thought, 'yeah...some names that I recognize, and would like to see in a film...', BUT... Even as I viewed the first few segments...and even though they were VERY clever I was STILL having trouble getting myself to acknowledge that this film was 'exceptional'. One thing for sure...it pushed a LOT of different buttons in the people who reviewed it negatively... I was looking through some of the comments...to me THEY were hilarious... one said something like 'it won't appeal to people with a NORMAL sense of humor!!!' I guess Einstein had a normal sense of humor? or Twain? Did Colombus have a normal sense of adventure?It's not as if people who didn't like this movie didn't GET it... I think it's more that they were ashamed to adMIT LIKING it... I've been finding, more and more, that this site is useless to me, as far as figuring out whether I'D like a movie, based on the comments of the viewers... so if an 'airplane'(which I didn't think I'd like for YEARS after it was out...until I saw parts of it doing rounds on my patients...and a FEW of them had it on their TV, so that I saw enough of it to realize that, isolated, the jokes weren't funny. But toGETHER, in rapid fire sequence, they achieved the desired effect...) meets 'the 10 commandments' fusion sounds like a potentially entertaining prospect, EYE say check it out and decide for yourself...but give it a CHANCE. And THAT's why so many somewhat well known names were in it... Someone actually wrote that this film was BLASphemous!!!! Boy, what a funny bunch of monkeys in fancy clothes WE are... take it away IMDb censor...did this pass or fail your criteria...? WOW! I passed the SPELL check, boychick...