Comedies about hit men usually make a killing at the box office. Remember Analyze This? Robert De Niro earned a Golden Globe nomination for his portrayal of a mob killer undergoing therapy in that very funny flick. Bruce Willis (The Sixth Sense) takes on the same type of role in The Whole Nine Yards, a surprisingly entertaining farce co-starring Matthew Perry from TV's Friends.

These two actors are excellent together. Although Willis has great comic ability, it's Perry who gets most of the laughs here. Demonstrating perfect timing, he plays a clumsy dentist whose wife tries to hire someone to kill him for the insurance money. When Willis, a famous contract killer, moves in next door, the two men become friends. However, Perry's scheming wife (Rosanna Arquette) involves Willis in her diabolical plans, and the games begin. The plot thickens when Perry falls for Willis' beautiful estranged wife (Natasha Henstridge), a woman Willis is planning to kill for monetary reasons.

Not since Get Shorty or Pulp Fiction have viewers been exposed to such colorful bad guys. Kevin Pollack (She's All That) may chew the scenery unmercifully as the leader of a dreaded Hungarian gang, but he's immensely watchable in this part. Michael Clarke Duncan (The Green Mile), a giant in talent as well as in size, keeps everyone wondering whose side he's on. Amanda Peet (Jack and Jill) emerges as a real scene-stealer in the role of a wannabe hit woman.

"The Whole Nine Yards is an intriguing comedy that's full of twists and turns, and surprises," says director Jonathan Lynn (My Cousin Vinny). Lynn also created and wrote the award-winning British television series Yes, Minister. He credits Perry with most of the physical comedy ideas for this movie. "I wouldn't have suggested some of the things he did and quite frankly thought they might be dangerous. He seems to be made of rubber because he doesn't hurt himself in all of this. He's a charming leading actor and a talented clown."

Perry comes across as extremely likeable in this film. He's someone the audience can empathize and identify with. Viewers can't help hoping everything comes out the best for him in the end. It's refreshing to see this kind of leading character in a movie, especially after so many cynical portrayals in recent films like The Beach and Magnolia.  While not all guilty parties are punished, goodness generally triumphs in this particular immorality tale.

The Whole Nine Yards should please Bruce Willis' many fans. It should also result in more recognition of Matthew Perry's tremendous comic potential. 

(Released by Warner Bros. and rated "R" for violence, sexual situations, nudity, and some strong language.)