Shallow Hal

we want Hal to be happy What starts as a one joke gag develops into a sweet, heartfelt film that surprises with its poignant moments. Shallow Hal is a surprise in that the laughs are inner chuckles The music is upbeat and the film looks very fine. ... Full Review

What starts as a one-joke gag develops into a heartfelt film that genuinely surprises by its poignant moments. I found myself actually caring for Rosie, the butt of the hippo jokes, and for Hal (Jack Black is terrific ... Full Review

In Shallow Hal , admittedly one of their lesser efforts, a vain, overweight hipster loser called Hal (Jack Black) constantly fools himself into thinking what a cool guy he is, a delusion compounded by his equally vain, socially unsuccessful pal Mauricio ( Seinfeld's Jason Alexander). ... Full Review

Paltrow isn't a classic beauty (the other women Hal dates are more stunning), but she has never been more luminous than she is here. The story requires a physical manifestation of inner beauty that conforms to the same set of superficial values the film tries to skewer. ... Full Review

Enter self-help guru Anthony Robbins (played smirkingly by Anthony Robbins), who uses a little casual hypnotism on our hero so that Hal sees only the inner beauty of people around him. Jack Black plays Hal, a superficial ass consumed by the thought of attracting only the most beautiful of women. ... Full Review

FIRST PUBLISHED May 30, 2002 Let me get this over with quickly so you won't have to skip to the end: "Shallow Hal" tries mightily to be touching and meaningful and winds up instead being closer to hypocritical and self-righteous, if not downright insulting. ... Full Review

Beauty's only skin-deep for Hal, which puts the kibosh on any form of serious relationship. Paltrow is ravishing when model thin, and somewhat disturbing as her sad, overweight alter-ego. ... Full Review

The Farrelly brothers have taken their next natural step as filmmakers, creating the type of understated, occasionally dramatic comedy they aren't usually known for.....She gives an alternately heartbreaking and comical performance....Shallow Hal," directed by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, is such a warm, well-meaning film....far between, and do not detract from the more honest, gently funny moments that take up the rest of the running time.....that's quite an achievement for a gifted, Oscar-winning actress.... ... Full Review

Having set all this up, "Shallow Hal's" got to be funny, too. Lightweight 'Shallow Hal' laughs at fat discrimination with pretty big success In "Shallow Hal," the subjects are not only the fat but also the plain and sometimes the plain ugly. ... Full Review

Unlike every other Farrelly Brothers movie you may have seen, Shallow Hal never once dips into the land of the gross and disgusting. It's worst slip into typical movie fare being a fairly innocuous prehensile tail. Jack Black is a terrible actor. ... Full Review