When watching One Night at McCool's, it's really hard to not compare it to Pulp Fiction. I guess when you have a film as groundbreaking as Pulp, many films are going to be stacked up against it. That is the case with this latest dark comedy starring Matt Dillon, Liv Tyler, Paul Reiser, John Goodman and Michael Douglas.

In McCool's, Tyler is a fiery vixen that works her charms on three completely different men. Matt Dillon plays a bartender, and the first to succumb to Tyler's charms. Reiser plays a married attorney who is instantly drawn to Tyler's (the Dominatrix), while Goodman plays a sweet natured police officer who sees shades of his deceased wife in the femme fatale. Throughout the course of this rather disjointed film, Tyler uses each man to get what she wants out of life, whether it be protection, a new dvd player, or rough sex.

This film from director Harold Zwart thinks it's more hip than it actually is. There are some good ideas floating around this picture, but nothing seems to stick. The characters aren't particularly interesting and while the movie passes itself off as a comedy, it tends to be a surprisingly bleak experience. Many moments in the picture do shock with unexpected bursts of violence (the big one is given away in the coming attraction trailer), but it's never effective because we don't really care about the characters.

Dillon is just going through the motions, while Reiser gets to have some fun with his role as a smarmy lawyer. Goodman plays it low key but doesn't really have any memorable moments. Tyler certainly looks the part of a seductress but much like Jennifer Love Hewitt in Heartbreakers, she never really embodies the character. Andrew Dice Clay is amusing as a loud mouth thug. There's actually more to his character, but I'd rather not give that plot point away in this review. Douglas is, without question, the best part of One Night at McCool's. As an aging hitman, Douglas is savvy and hip without being over the top. This is obviously a role he wanted to have fun with and he makes the most of it.

Thankfully, One Night at McCool's is nowhere near as dreadful as some of the current comedies out there, but I still don't think I would recommend it. Although it has colorful moments, it doesn't maintain any kind of rhythm or energy needed to make it a satisfying movie experience. It's Pulp Fiction without the flash and There's Something About Mary without the laughs.