The volume of jokes is extremely high, presumably as a form of insurance—if one fails, maybe the next will succeed. The problem is, "Mafia!" contains too many duds. And, when you're not laughing, you start to realize how little this film has to offer beyond the diluted humor. ... "Mafia!" isn't a terrible film, and it will probably provoke at least a burst or two of laughter from even the most grim viewer. On the whole, however, it's a weak parody that is better suited to video viewing than a theatrical experience. Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times", who gave the film two out of four stars, wrote  Yes, I laughed during Jim Abrahams' "Mafia!," but even in mid-chortle I was reminded of the gut-busting experience last week of seeing "There's Something About Mary." It is the new movie's misfortune to arrive after, instead of before, the funniest comedy of the year. ... "Mafia!" is the kind of movie that can never entirely fail, but can succeed to various degrees. It doesn't rank with Abraham's earlier efforts. And in a town where "There's Something About Mary" is playing, it's not the one to choose. Owen Gleiberman of "Entertainment Weekly" wrote  There are a handful of laughs in "Mafia!", but most of the movie feels oddly repressed. ... The underworld gags are limited and repetitive, without the ripely promiscuous media-age lunacy that, in a comedy like "The Naked Gun", made you feel as if the film were tickling funny bones you never even knew existed. Jay Mohr, as the Michael Corleone surrogate, and Billy Burke, as his psycho-hothead brother, don't even look the part—they're like preppies clowning in a Harvard spoof—and so the film gets virtually no lift from its performers. ... Still, when Mohr's Anthony Cortino grabs his brother's head and gives him the kiss of death, leaving a bright red smear of lipstick ... well, we may all know this genre's tricks too well by now, but that doesn't mean they can't make you smile.