What's so great about Ben Stiller? He just gets himself into embarrassing situations and his main comedic "skill" seems to be the ability to act flustered. He's paid untold millions to do this in a seemingly endless string of comedies. Come to think of it, he's not a very nice guy, either. This is the second straight movie (after Starsky & Hutch) in which he's "accidentally" killed a horse. An innocent horse!
Sorry, I got a little jealous.
Envy is about pals Tim and Nick, whose friendship is strained when one becomes filthy rich from an implausible, albeit useful, invention called Vapoorize. The product is a spray that makes dog feces literally vanish. The obvious response to such a creation is voiced by one incredulous character; "Shit just doesn't disappear!"
Tim (Stiller) and Nick (Jack Black) are also neighbors and factory co-workers. Tim has achieved some degree of success at work, while Nick is constantly daydreaming and coming up with goofy inventions. When Nick comes up with the idea for Vapoorize, he offers Tim a 50 percent share. As any sane person would, Tim refuses.
To everyone's surprise, the stuff actually works and Nick becomes rich overnight. The problem is that with every mansion and merry-go-round Nick builds, Tim grows greener and greener with envy. The tension is not only between the two buddies, but also between Tim and his wife (Rachael Weisz), who's good-natured but covetous of the life she could have had. A chain of events are set in motion that will certainly lead to embarrassing situations and make our protagonist flustered.
The movie has some laughs thanks to Jack Black and Ben Stiller. Throw in a supporting role by Christopher Walken as a strange drifter, but essentially playing Christopher Walken, and it seems hard to go wrong. The movie wants to be a black comedy about consumeristic society, but it doesn't have the strength of its convictions: it's too nice to be a black comedy.
Another problem is its lack of substance. Director Barry Levinson has an idea and sets it up, but he doesn't really propel it anywhere. Envy is just a series of situations intended for our amusement. The movie has a message—be grateful for what you have—and a few jokes, but no story. It's been Vapoorized.