If you’re in the hunt for an irreverently silly comedy in 2015, one of the first on the list is a return from Vince Vaughn in the European city hopping frivolity of Unfinished Business. Looking like a direct descendent of other comedies from his back catalogue, with the likes of The Internship, The Watch and Delivery Man in recent years, you can expect more team-based competition humour with a zero-to-hero ethos. This time around, it’s the cut throat world of the big budget business deal that acts as the backdrop for the craziness.
Release date
Unfinished Business had a US and UK release date of the 6th March 2015, bringing the film to the big screen pretty early on in the year as one of the first slacker comedy releases. It’s primary completion has probably been Hot Tub Time Machine 2, which was released a couple of weeks earlier in the States (it wasn’t out in the UK until the 10th April), so it had a pretty clear run at the comedy loving audience out there, with a wider appeal than the time travelling sci-fi comedy has.
It will be released on DVD and digital download in the States on the 16th June 2015, followed by a slightly later UK release date of the 13th July for the DVD and 29th June for digital download.
Storyline
The plot sees Vaughn taking on the role of Dan Trunkman, a business man that decides to strike out on his own when things go wrong in the corporate world of his previous job at Dynamic Systems. With a fledgling team of ragtag recruits – one closing in on retirement and the other fresh out of college – he manages to orchestrate a huge deal that could turn his young business around. All he needs to do is jet out to Europe and nail the deal if his life, but things are inevitably never going to be that easy when it comes to a Hollywood comedy like this.
While things seem to be pretty straight forward to begin with, despite the evident limitations of his team, they soon descend into chaos that sees them taking in a European fetish convention and getting embroiled in the politics of a global economic summit. However, the real challenge comes from the appearance of Chuck Portnoy, the girl that helped to nudge him out of his last job, as a direct competitor in the bid for the business deal, giving Dan and his random team a massive uphill battle to face.
Cast
Vince Vaughn is joined at the helm of the comedy cast by Dave Franco 21 Jump Street as his younger business associate, Mike Pancake, accompanying him on the business trip. The older third leg of the business trip trio, Timothy McWinters, is played by Tom Wilkinson (The Green Hornet, The Grand Budapest Hotel) and the male side of the cast is rounded off by Nick Frost (Cuban Fury) as Bill Whilmsley and James Marsden (X-Men: Days Of Future Past) as Jim Spinch, the decision makers on the other side of the European business deal.
Dan’s opposite number in the high stakes bid, Chuck Portnoy, is played deadpan by Sienna Miller (Foxcatcher), who takes on one of her first pseudo-villain roles as she tries to gazump the deal.
Production
The New Regency film production has been directed by Ken Scott, who has worked previously with Vince Vaughn on The Delivery Man. Steven Conrad (The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty) wrote the screenplay and 20th Century Fox are distributing the movie when it’s released in March. The various producers of the comedy are Arnon Milchan (Pretty Woman, 12 Years A Slave), Todd Black (The Equalizer 2014), Jason Blumenthal (The Equalizer 2014), Steve Tisch (The Pursuit Of Happiness) and Anthony Katagas (12 Years A Slave).
Review
We’re always going to have a soft side when it comes to comedies like Unfinished Business and while it’s clearly not a classic of the Dodgeball order of magnitude, it’s still a bit of a laugh to watch. Vince Vaughn is incredibly likeable and his onscreen rivalry with the businesslike Sienna Miller makes for some decent scenes as he tries to outdo her to win the deal. Add to that the presence of the unconventional comedy duo of Franco and Wilkinson and you’ve probably got just enough to make the film enjoyable for other like-minded cinema-goers. However, if you’re not quite as forgiving of the number of jokes that fall flat or the scatter gun delivery then you might be put off instantly, despite its more endearing qualities. Read our full Unfinished Business review for more details.
Share the Unfinished Business movie details, release date and trailer with:
Unfinished Business trailer:
Film poster:
 film details, DVD release date and trailer from the film section of Tuppence Magazine, include info about the cast and plot of the movie.){kind=link}