The acting seemed to me to be "mailed in". I really like both of the actors in this movie. And to describe some of the scenes to my friends, you would think it was a hilarious movie. So I'm pretty sure the writing was good, but the execution was off. The timing and the passion never seemed to click. Maybe having Downey Jr. as the straight guy was the problem. He seemed more mean that funny. Mean can be funny if given proper attention - Dr. Evil is quite funny, but he was vulnerable too. Downey's vulnerable side seemed fake so you never really cared about the character. Comedy is surely one of the hardest forms of acting to capture on film - you really have to commit to the character and the scene. This movie and the actors never really did that. There were a few funny moments, but in all it was a rather dull ride. What a shame. I really wanted to like this movie. Two popular actors cashing a check. That's all.