Men at Work

Written and directed by Emilio Estevez, Men at Work follows best friends and garbagemen James (Estevez) and Carl (Charlie Sheen) as they find themselves embroiled in a conspiracy involving a dead politician and a corrupt businessman (John Getz’ Maxwell Potterdam III). There’s little doubt that Men at Work fares best in its freewheeling, agreeably lighthearted opening stretch, as filmmaker Estevez does an effective job of establishing the chemistry between the two central characters and generally emphasizing their goofy antics in and around their beachfront city. The engaging atmosphere is undoubtedly heightened by irresistibly charming work from both Estevez and Sheen, and it’s clear, too, that Men at Work benefits from the efforts of a strong supporting cast that includes Keith David, Leslie Hope, and Dean Cameron. It’s not until the picture segues into its comparatively conventional and by-the-numbers second half that one’s interest begins to flag, as Estevez slowly-but-surely infuses the proceedings with hackneyed thriller elements that are not, to put it mildly, anything worth getting terribly excited about. The end result is an erratic yet mostly entertaining piece of work that could’ve been a whole lot worse, to be sure, with Estevez’s stylish approach to his own screenplay bolstered by a handful of laugh-out-loud funny moments and an overall atmosphere of easygoing energy.

**1/2 out of ****

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