As motion pictures that slip through the machine of major releases, this one wasn't too bad, if it can even be labeled a major release. "The Third Wheel" is another contraption from former stand up comedian Jordan Brady, which got its financing on the names of young Hollywood's dynamic duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon.

"The Third Wheel" follows Stanley as he attempts to take love-interest and co-worker Diana on the perfect first date. Meanwhile, after taking a year to gain the courage to ask her, Stanley's co-workers begin to take bets on how far the date will get without him blowing it.

The date quickly becomes a dud for Diana, who calls her roommate to say she'll be home early, until Stanley accidentally hits a homeless man named Phil with his car. Thereafter, Stanley can't seem to shake Stanley, as the semi injured and slow-in-the-head gent is convinced he can help his assailant to win the heart of Diana. The evening of course becomes one disaster after another, cutting back to humorous scenes of the betting floor i.e. Stanley's best friend's apartment.

The cast, believe it or not, has several notable names including Luke Wilson (Legally Blonde) as Stanley, Denise Richards (Wild Things) as Diana and Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting) as Stanley's best friend Michael.

The role of Phil is performed by the movie's screenwriter Jay Lacopo.,br>

Lacopo is about the best delight of the movie, although his performance as a semi mentally challenged man is not the most solid and believable in the world, we are soon shown why later in the picture. However, the screenwriter/actor's presence was very fun and had several entertaining moments.

Luke Wilson appears to be miscast in this work. His brother Owen Wilson (Shanghai Noon) would have been a better choice. The brand of humor Stanley carries is better suited for one of Owen's performances, while Luke appeared out of place.

Denise Richards steps into the role she was born to play, the adorable drop dead gorgeous girl in the office who doesn't really say much, and somehow the audience is tricked into thinking she is intellectual as well. Richards doesn't get many chances to play a straight shooting role without showing her tits. Good for her.

The worse performance of the picture came from Ben Affleck, but to his credit, I blame director Jordan Brady (Waking Up in Reno) for allowing this proven performer to play out the hero's reflective character completely over the top. Affleck's presence, although needed as a character, was mostly manifested in the film visuals to act as a complete idiot and reduce Affleck's screen IQ to nearly nil.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting) also makes a cameo appearance for one scene, tares it up, and leaves with a big laugh between he and Lacopo. Damon plays Kevin, Diana's bitter ex-boyfriend. His scene is very intense and hilarious.

The last weak aspect of the picture is Brady's camera decisions. As a comedy, the picture is very scattered visually and never finds a rhythm. However, their are a handful of interesting shots, which makes sense when the story's hook is delivered in the final scene. Otherwise, the direction was a mess.

Lacopo's writing was the film's greatest strength. The dialogue is very punchy and amusing, the storyline is far fetched, especially in regards to the gambling on Stanley's misfortune, but most characters are generally memorable, including his own.,br>

The only DVD disc I found of this picture was loaded with trailers and that's about it. Also, it was full screen, so I will not comment on the cinematography out of respect for not having seen the entire frame. Overall, "The Third Wheel" is a decent low budget giggle.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?