Wayans' 'Less' isn't always more

Ever wonder what people in the corner are saying about you? If so, you'd be a perfect candidate for the medical experiment conducted in "Senseless." The experiment magnifies your five senses 10 times. Just don't get greedy.

And that's the problem for Darryl Witherspoon (Marlon Wayans). After using all possible resources, such as giving blood several times a day to pay tuition and support his family, Darryl jumps at the chance to do an experiment that pays $3,000.

Things are going great for Darryl until he decides to take a double dose of the medication. It follows that he still has incredibly heightened senses, but he can only use four of his senses at one time. Darryl's life and the movie both take a turn for the worse from this point on.

"Senseless" gets off to a great start with a sequence involving Darryl giving tours around campus. Wayans is at his best as he directs the prospective students around Stratford while trying to do work for his other jobs.

Courtesy of Hollywood Pictures Beyond his sitcom, Marlon Wayans is creating a career for himself in comedies like "The Sixth Man."

The scene is set to techno music, which helps get the movie going and establish tone. The techno music that is played throughout the comedy gives it an edge that could easily have been lost with the standard pop hits of '80s or '90s.

Wayans does a solid job in the lead and at times evokes sympathy for the struggle of his character. But he is so off the mark in the predictable four-out-of-five-senses scenes that they disrupt the flow and squash the movie's potential.

David Spade is his usual sarcastic self in his role as the spoiled, know-it-all rich kid; he provides a convincing contrast to Darryl. The two share some funny exchanges as their characters end up competing for the same job.

REVIEW
	Senseless 2 stars At Briarwood & Showcase

Matthew Lillard ("Scream") plays Darryl's hockey star roommate. His opening scene is entertaining as he talks about his evolution as a person but the remainder of his attempts at humor center around his well-placed body piercings and a "Is My Friend A Junkie?" packet that he picks up when he thinks Darryl is on drugs.

"Senseless" is directed by Penelope Spheeris ("Wayne's World"), and she does a good job mixing up shots and moving the story along. She excels in using zoom shots from Darryl's point of view to communicate his newfound senses to the viewer but lets the movie slip into predictable and pointless slapstick once Darryl doubles up his dosage.

Overall, "Senseless" has some enjoyable parts, but there really isn't much that is new or innovative. It is nothing more than the typical main-character-has-to-learn-to-love-himself-for-who-he-really-is story, and if you want to see this, watch "The Nutty Professor." But look for Wayans in the future, because although he gives an uneven performance, he shows potential for bigger things.

02-23-98