Review: 'Osmosis Jones' Cures With Wit

The filmmakers behind "Dumb and Dumber" appear to be getting "smart and smarter" when it comes to making entertaining movies.

As reigning kings of the gross-out comedy genre, Peter and Bobby Farrelly take the body function laughs to new heights with "Osmosis Jones," a movie literally about functions of the body.

But the movie is not entirely about what you'd expect from a Farrelly movie. No, it's not all about flatulence jokes and other toilet humor, but a traditional cops and bad guys movie smartly adapted to completely original surroundings. Combining animation with live action, it provides for a movie tame enough for kids to enjoy, and wise enough for the adults to absorb. It hits the mark on both levels.

Chris Rock voices the title character of Osmosis Jones, a white blood cell that's akin in human form to a renegade cop. His job is to track down the bad germs that enter the body and inflict the cure. And he's got the family history to prove it ? his grandpappy, after all, fought the measles.

Bill Murray anchors the live action part of the film as Frank, a sad-sack of a dad whose slobbery ways open the floodgates for sickness. But Frank, understandably, can be forgiven for his careless ways ? he's struggling with the loss of his wife, and his daughter's (Elena Franklin) dealing with it.

The two main characters stories intertwine, essentially, when a killer virus (voiced by Laurence Fishburne) enters Frank's body. Jones, naturally, seems to be the cell for the job, but his questionable practices get him stuck with a partner: A painkilling, 12-hour cold capsule named Drix (voiced by David Hyde Pierce) to take on the job.

So, from the brain to the bowels, the team races against time to catch the killer virus before it kills Frank. But the body of Frank is not your ordinary body, it's a society, literally, full of characters that you would expect to find in, well, a cop movie. Corrupt politicians (the mayor is a brain cell voiced by William Shatner), villains and deadbeats are among the shady characters Osmosis and Drix must take on.

The greater majority of "Osmosis Jones" is played out through its animated sequences, and won't disappoint the fans of the art form. Its animation is highly detailed and vibrant in color, and is enhanced by powerful theatrical sound editing.

Perhaps most importantly, the voice work blends in seamlessly. It's easy to become absorbed into the characterizations, despite the easily recognizable voices of Rock and Pierce. Their recognizable style definitely comes through in the roles, yet they are convincing in their roles.

Of course, they have a smart script to thank, which gives a new spin to the dying cop movie genre. Sure, it doesn't quite have the originality and charm of the summer's most notable animated film "Shrek," but it is entertaining nonetheless.

"Osmosis Jones" really only falters when it comes to its live-action sequences. On the upside, Billy Murray was born to play slobs, and he joyfully sloshes through his role. But the live-action also provides the breeding ground for the Farrelly's all-too familiar gross-out humor. Thankfully, they don't have enough live-action time to make it overkill, but that's not to say that its display of vomiting and zit popping won't make you sick.

But then again, being sick is what "Osmosis Jones" is all about. Those easily cured by laughter might not feel in tip-top shape coming out of the theater, but they should leave feeling pretty good.