Energetic comic actor Martin Lawrence is forced to shamelessly mug and improvise his way through this flaccid mess of a comedy, while his co-star Danny De Vito portrays a pale imitation of his memorable characters from Ruthless People (1986) and Other People's Money (1991). This is a well-cast film peopled by talented actors (including John Leguizamo, Nora Dunn, Larry Miller, and Ana Gasteyer). They've all proven themselves more than up to the challenge of provoking mirth in the past but they don't do so in this instance, because the script is a bungled scrap heap of lame one-liners and the sort of mentally challenged character motivations usually reserved for bombastic action films. Only William Fichtner, a revelation as a flamboyantly gay queen of a detective, and Bernie Mac, as a larcenous uncle, escape unscathed in their relatively brief onscreen appearances. After an hour-and-a-half-plus running time, the film even has the cheek to crib its final line from the classic comedy The Front Page (1931). What's the Worst That Could Happen? is a funny concept that's still in search of a suitable script.