Very clever and engaging from beginning to end, pic builds on the notion that nearly everyone - at least once in life - has the desire to snuff out a relative or nemesis, even if 99.9% of us let the urge pass without ever acting on it.

If it all gets a little soft-centred towards the end, there's more than enough vitality and invention to be going on with.

Mr. Crystal and Mr. DeVito ... make one of the oddest pairs imaginable but have a rapport that's a delight.

A solid and satisfying mix of the sinister and the silly, with a confident visual language from director / co-star Danny DeVito and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfeld and a respect for the darker cultural corners it explores.