What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

10% of critics liked it
(98 reviews)
40% of users liked it
(16,544 ratings)

The novel of the same name by crime author Donald E. Westlake becomes this MGM comedy starring Martin Lawrence as Kevin Caffery, a thief who breaks into the supposedly unoccupied beachfront mansion of billionaire Max Fairbanks (Danny De Vito). Max unexpectedly catches the burglar red-handed and… More The novel of the same name by crime author Donald E. Westlake becomes this MGM comedy starring Martin Lawrence as Kevin Caffery, a thief who breaks into the supposedly unoccupied beachfront mansion of billionaire Max Fairbanks (Danny De Vito). Max unexpectedly catches the burglar red-handed and summons the police, but before the criminal can be carted off, Max impulsively claims that Kevin's lucky ring is his own. Enraged, Kevin vows revenge on the tycoon, and so begins a game of one-upmanship from which neither party will cease and desist, even when the result becomes public scandal, financial ruin, divorce, and criminal proceedings. What's the Worst That Could Happen?co-stars John Leguizamo, Glenne Headley, Larry Miller, Ana Gasteyer, Richard Schiff, William Fichtner, Bernie Mac, and Nora Dunn. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.
Directed By: Sam Weisman
Written By: Matthew Chapman
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 1, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Jan 1, 2002
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
It's worse than the title suggests.
Robert Koehler, Variety
A pinpoint study in what not to do with an adaptation, as well as in why altering a well-known fictional character to suit a poorly cast star is almost always a bad idea.
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
I'd rather watch a forgotten houseplant dehydrate and die.
Paul Tatara, CNN.com
This is the kind of do-nothing movie you eventually quit watching on an airplane. Unfortunately, theaters don't supply SkyMall catalogues to take up the slack.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Suffocated by its own plot.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Uncomfortably distasteful at times.
John Venable, Supercala.com
Well...you could waste a few hours of your life. Does that answer the question?
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
What's the Worst that Could Happen? takes a while to get going, but once it does, it's surprisingly effective, just as long as you appreciate it for what it morphs into - a no-holds-barred wacky comedy.
Tom Grealis, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
The most pathetic attempt at comedy in a long time.
John J. Puccio, Movie Metropolis
What's the Worst That Could Happen? The inevitable responses are that nobody will laugh, and the public will waste a lot of time and money on the DVD.

Read all 10 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

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Featured Audience Ratings

Deb S

The story focuses on a cat and mouse game between a clever thief Kevin (Martin Lawrence), and a crooked business tycoon Max Fairbanks (Danny DeVito), who turn each other's lives upside down after the former is caught burglarizing the Max's house and instead he gets robbed of… More
The story focuses on a cat and mouse game between a clever thief Kevin (Martin Lawrence), and a crooked business tycoon Max Fairbanks (Danny DeVito), who turn each other's lives upside down after the former is caught burglarizing the Max's house and instead he gets robbed of his most prized possession: his girlfriend's ring. Now, he will stop at nothing to get the ring that was stolen from him. To help him is the hilarious John Leguizamo and joining them is Bernie Mac as Kevin's uncle. William Fichtner is also unforgettable as the police detective who suspects De Vito of committing insurance fraud.
Joseph E

I actually enjoyed it, although there was too many chacthers, the plot was loose, and it wasn't as funny as you'd expect, but I still liked it, Sort of.
Ashton R

This movie was an absolute waste of time to watch. None of it was even slightly humorous, except for William Fichtner's character, which was a unique and very amusing performance. Otherwise the rest is garbage, and shouldn't be watched unless you are extremely bored or… More
This movie was an absolute waste of time to watch. None of it was even slightly humorous, except for William Fichtner's character, which was a unique and very amusing performance. Otherwise the rest is garbage, and shouldn't be watched unless you are extremely bored or morbidly curious.