So I Married an Axe Murderer

Directed by Thomas Schlamme, So I Married an Axe Murderer follows beat poet Charlie Mackenzie (Mike Myers) as he meets and falls for a pretty butcher named Harriet (Nancy Travis) – with problems ensuing after Charlie becomes convinced that Harriet is actually a notorious figure suspected of killing several husbands. Filmmaker Schlamme, working from Robbie Fox’s screenplay, delivers a somewhat erratic yet mostly affable comedy that fares best in its lighthearted, compulsively watchable opening stretch, as the movie, which opens with a fantastic sequence detailing Charlie’s stint at a small poetry club, benefits substantially from Myers’ exceedingly agreeable performance and his genuine chemistry with his various costars – with the irresistible bond between his and Travis’ respective figures certainly going a long way towards perpetuating the entertaining vibe. (And it doesn’t hurt, either, that the film boasts strong work from an eclectic roster of periphery and cameo players, including Alan Arkin as an overly sensitive police captain and Phil Hartman as a gruff Alcatraz tour guide named Vicky.) It’s clear, then, that So I Married an Axe Murderer‘s overall impact is hindered slightly by an oddly-paced midsection that eventually leads into a rather underwhelming thriller-like climax, which does, in the end, cement the picture’s place as a predominantly engaging comedy that remains completely charming even through its sporadic missteps.

*** out of ****