Mobster movie have come and gone, with films like “The Godfather,” “Scareface,” and “Married to the Mob” creatively making the bad-guy formula work. “My Blue Heaven,” on the other hand, probably will end up shelved in video stores in the near future.

It’s not that the film doesn’t try to be funny – it tries too hard. Steve Martin, as Mafia informant Vinnie Antonelli, looks the role of a small-time gangster (he’s dyed and spiked his signature grey hair), but his over acting becomes annoying midway through the film. His “wild and crazy guy” demeanor doesn’t quite go with his “yo” dialogue.

Rick Moranis (“Parenthood” “Honey I shrunk the Kids”) plays FBI agent Barney Coopersmith, the ulta-straight stereotypical G-Man who keeps an eye on Vinnie. But Moranis’ character has slightly more depth than Martin’s; he is believable without being a caricature. He has trouble relating to women (his wife left him because he was too boring), and his loyalty to the country is undying. He salutes the television set when the national anthem is played in a baseball game.

“My Blue Heaven” begins with Vinnie’s relocation from New York to a small California suburb via the witness protection program. The major gag in the story is how out-of-place Vinnie is in a staid, sub-divisioned community. He mows the lawn in his silk suit, insults emplyees at the extra-friendly supermarket, and pilfers anything he can find. And he never remembers that his new name is Todd.

Inevitably, Vinnie’s true nature and criminal past cause him to stray, and he engages in unsavory “business” practices. After running into some old mob cronies (it turns out they were all relocated to the same suburb), he decides to establish a Mafia crime base in the otherwise-quiet area. The scenes with Vinnie and his buddies swapping suburbia stories (and how they miss the Big Apple) are pretty funny, but once again, the gag is stetched and it gets old fast.

“My Blue Heaven” was written by Nora Ephron, whose “When Harry Met Sally” was a 1989 smash. Her wit here, however, is scattered at best. Ironically, the film (also produced by Goldie Hawn) has no strong female characters. There’s Joan Cusak (“Working Girl”) as the town D.A. who is out to bust Vinnie, but her role isn’t expanded enough to show any emotional depth.

Though “My Blue Heaven” has some humorous moments, they are few and far between, and the plot is too jumpy. The end is predictable. So wait a few months and catch it on video – this one isn’t worth the price of admission and popcorn.