As everyone knows there are only really two types of funny: funny ha-ha and funny peculiar. This film, by accomplished director Neil LaBute, manages to be a little bit of both. It’s an out and out comedy, so one would hope that there would be at the very least a few laughs to be had. What’s peculiar about it is its cinematic re-incarnation, because in a previous life, it was an English comedy.

This version however, couldn’t be any less English if it tried. Despite the story being transposed to the US however, the central plot is eerily familiar.

It’s the day of his father’s funeral and Aaron (Chris Rock) is feeling the pressure. All the arrangements have been left to him to handle, but unfortunately for him, the rest of his family aren’t playing ball. The situation doesn’t get any better with the arrival of his younger brother Ryan (Martin Lawrence) – a successful author – who everyone presumes will be giving the eulogy.

On top of this, his ovulating wife Michelle (Regina Hall) wants to make a baby ASAP; his cousin Elaine (Zoe Saldana) brings her new boyfriend Oscar (James Marsden) as a date, without knowing that her father has invited her old boyfriend Derek (Luke Wilson) because he prefers him; and friend of the family Norman (Tracy Jordan) has been given the dubious task of looking after cantankerous, wheelchair-bound uncle Russell (Danny Glover).

There’s also the small matter of the arrival of a short guest (Peter Linklage) who no-one else seems to know or even remember inviting, despite the fact that he appears to know them, all too well. With the passing of every awkward hour it becomes clear to Aaron that it’s going to be one very long day.

Chris, you can see them right? This place is crawling with killer bees and they're damn hungry! Moma!

What becomes abundantly clear just a few minutes in is that there’s nothing at all clever about the film’s humour; it’s a non-stop ticket all the way to silliness.

At the centre of the film is Rock, who puts in a somewhat subdued comic performance; to his credit, he acts more as a catalyst for others to be funny, with his role to just to keep the thing together. By being less manic, he gives his character a grounded sense of believability. Considering how far some of his fellow cast push their roles, he shows good judgement in his restraint. He’s also very generous by allowing those around him to have far more of the laughs, which can’t be easy for a comedian like him.

Without a doubt the biggest offender for stealing all the gags is 30 Rock’s Tracy Jordan. Although this is very much an ensemble piece, and Jordan isn’t in nearly as much as he should be, he truly does steal the show, literally single-handedly in one very funny scene.

Coming a close second, rather surprisingly considering the comic talent here, is Marsden (The Box), who shows a real flair for comedy. It’s all rather obvious stuff, but he gives Oscar just the right amount of personality to carry it off.

Where the film dies a death however, is by having far too many unnecessary elements at play. The fact that Aaron’s wife Michelle wants to have a baby serves no purpose whatsoever. And that Elaine’s old boyfriend and her new one both attend the service is completely redundant. All they manage to do is make the film busier than it should be, instead of funnier.

The oddest thing about the film however is the fact that it was ever made at all. Frank ‘Muppet Man’ Oz directed the original English version, only in 2007. Apart from a few cultural differences, the films are exactly the same. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Dean Craig wrote them both. And by write we mean take the first script scribble out the old names, add the new, and write ‘btw set in the US so maybe use American accents this time around?’ on the front page.

Linklage also has the dubious honour of playing the exact same character in both versions of the film. In truth, once was more than enough.

It just gets stranger with Neil LaBute on board. Here was a director who, at the start of his career, had the air of a young auteur about him with his first two features (that he also wrote) In the Company of Men (1997) and Your Friends & Neighbours (1998). He oozed promise and showed oodles of potential. His more recent projects include the atrocious remake of The Wicker Man (2006) and the dire thriller Lakeview Terrace (2008). How the mighty fall.

Although this isn’t necessarily a bad film, it feels a bit like Hollywood is almost testing LaBute to see if can take that edgy indie sensibility that he has and squeeze it into a generic mainstream flick. He deserves so much better than this.

Overall it’s difficult to see why on earth this film was remade, especially when you consider that the original was hardly a classic.

There’s no denying that death can be a laughing matter but Death at a Funeral just doesn’t push its premise hard enough. There are a few genuine laughs to be had, but this is one film that really shouldn’t have been dug back up again.