This guide covers both the 1997 slapstick comedy film Mouse Hunt
, noting the "well-timed give-and-take" between Lane and Evans. While some reviewers, like Roger Ebert, found the slapstick vacuum-like, others praised its "surprisingly dark atmosphere" and "subversive sense of humor".
What follows is a war of attrition that plays out like a Looney Tunes episode brought to life. The brothers' attempts to exterminate the rodent escalate from simple traps to full-blown demolition, destroying the house faster than any pest could. It is a film that balances physical comedy with a surprisingly gothic, Burton-esque aesthetic. MOUSE HUNT-1997-IN H.264 BY WINKER
Mouse Hunt (1997), directed by Gore Verbinski in his feature debut, is a slapstick-driven family comedy that blends physical humor, darkly comic set pieces, and surprisingly heartfelt themes about family, failure, and creative resilience. The film follows the Gaunt brothers, Ernie and Lars (played by Nathan Lane and Lee Evans), two down-on-their-luck theatrical types who inherit a crumbling mansion from their deceased father. Their plans to sell the house are derailed by a clever, relentless mouse whose antics set off an escalating war of traps, schemes, and increasingly absurd disasters.
Shot on 35mm film using Panavision equipment. This guide covers both the 1997 slapstick comedy
: Nathan Lane (Ernie) and Lee Evans (Lars) deliver masterful physical performances that pay homage to classic silent film stars.
The film was a commercial success, grossing $125.4 million against a $38 million budget, and it helped establish DreamWorks SKG as a serious player in the late 90s film market. Despite its PG rating, it is remembered for a "dark and grimy" aesthetic that differentiated it from standard family-friendly fare. Mousehunt (1997) - IMDb The Aspect Ratio Integrity: Many TV broadcasts of
The film's visual effects were ahead of their time, seamlessly blending: