Review by Steve Rhodes
1½ stars out of 4
Watching Linda Mendoza's overedited, overscripted and overacted CHASING PAPI,
you'll swear it was originally a ten-hour Latin soap opera which was sped up to
triple speed and then chopped into little pieces in order to be able to fit it
into an 80-minute movie. The only three minutes of it at all worth seeing is a
cheesy dance number that occurs at the end.
The plot features a hunk, played by Eduardo Ver stegui, who attracts women like
flies to honey. Walking through an airport, he causes even octogenarians and
nuns to instantly lust after his body. Although the story claims he has only
three girlfriends, Patricia (Jaci Velasquez), Lorena (Roselyn Sanchez) and Cici
(Sofˇa Vergara), I'll swear the count was closer to thirty. But, since the
slapstick story has the women acting like Baywatch babes running around like
Keystone cops, it's hard to keep track of everything.
Our screening had Spanish subtitles, which I found helpful. I don't speak or
read any Spanish, but the subtitles were helpful in staying awake, something
that my wife didn't accomplish. I would listen to the English and try to
identify which part of the Spanish text matched the spoken words. It was a
mindless game, which helped me pass the time.
The convoluted story involves the women bonding after discovering that they had
been cheated on by the same man, who even gave them similar lingerie gifts.
These newly unattached females travel around, unknowingly, with a bag of money
in their car, while bad guys with tiny brains and a sexy FBI agent named Carmen
(Lisa Vidal) follow them.
The editor must have been paid by the cut. Watching these gals in their old
jalopy can give you severe whiplash, as the movie cuts every few seconds to
something else. I have no idea if these actresses can act. The editor never
slowed down long enough to let me figure it out. The whole movie is one --
thankfully -- forgettable blur.
CHASING PAPI runs 1:20. It is rated PG for "mild sensuality and language" and
would be acceptable for kids around 9 and up.
Copyright © 2003 Steve Rhodes
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