Some think when you die you become nothing more than worm food; others believe in some version of heaven or reincarnation. For years, filmmakers poked fun at this uncertainty in comedies that portray dead loved ones as friendly ghosts. According to the minds responsible for "Over Her Dead Body," a logical way to cope with death is to visit the neighborhood psychic.
Henry (Paul Rudd) had everything going for him. He was a successful veterinarian and had found the woman with whom he was meant to spend the rest of his life. Kate (Eva Longoria Parker) was the anxious bride who wanted everything perfect for her big day. Unfortunately, Kate's life would end with ironic glory as an ice sculpture of a wingless angel crushed her to death on their wedding day.
The idea of a loved one haunting the living and trying to get them to move on certainly isn't an inventive story and the execution of it is, at best, mildly cute. The main characters in "Over Her Dead Body" aren't even likeable. The psychic (Lake Bell) and the sister (Lindsey Sloane) come off as insensitive scam artists who take advantage of the innocent Henry (Rudd). Rudd offers a few light chuckles, but the majority of the film is a two-hour mess of overacting, failed comedy and mindless fluff.
Other romantic comedies dealing with the afterlife, such as "Just Like Heaven," overcame the preposterous plots and have successfully delighted audiences with humor and likeable characters. However, "Dead Body" is no such success story. Instead of laughter, audiences will be forced to focus on the film's many distractions - such as how absurd Jason Biggs looks with a pierced ear. As arguable as death, taxes, religion or politics may be, one certain thing in life is that this film is a dud.
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