2 posts tagged “comedy”
However, based upon a positive personal review (my brother and his girlfriend Hannah) and the fact that Best Buy had it on sale for 7 bucks, I decided I should just go ahead and see it. And, well, it wasn't all that bad. It was actually pretty funny.
The script was written by Ben Garant, Tom Lennon and Michael Patrick Jann, three names I trust ("Reno 911," "MTV's The State" and "Wet Hot American Summer," between them), directed by Bob Odenkirk ("Mr. Show," "Tim and Eric's something something show") and starred by Will Arnett, who portrayed my favorite character on "Arrested Development," GOB (my fish's namesake).
The story is about Dax Shepard's revenge against the judge who put him in jail three times. However, upon his third release, he finds out that the judge has just died. So, he redirects his rage as the judge's spoiled son, Will Arnett. Will ends up in prison after a trip to the pharmacy goes awry, and Dax purposefully lands himself back in jail to personally torment Will. After giving Will some bad advice, Dax's plan backfire and Will unwittingly rises to the top of the prisoner hierarchy ("I did what I had to do.").
Will's performance bears a lot of resemblance to GOB, but let me tell you, it's a hell of a performance. Will proves himself fantastic slapstick actor and at certain angles bears the resemblance of a young Bob Odenkirk (who appears and Will's selfish lawyer). Dax proves to be an adequate performer himself. Not incredible, but he gets the job done.
Overall, I'd rent this one if you're not a fan of "Mr. Show" or "Reno 911!," or any of the other hundred things Ben Garant and Tom Lennon have done lately.
Under. Rated.
When first happening upon this movie, I read that it was never released into theaters. Why not? It's a Mike Judge flick, and Office Space was and still is loved by millions. Who wouldn't want to release this and cash in? Well, after seeing it, it's easy to figure out. But that doesn't mean this is a bad movie. Quite the contrary, it was really good.
Here's the premise: The military is experimenting in life suspension technologies and rather than use the cream of the military crop, they opt for the most average man in the military, Luke Wilson. Physically, mentally and emotionally he's smack in the middle of every bell curve. They also choose Maya Rudolph, a prostitute, to take part, in exchange for an easing off of her pimp.
The experiment will be suspending the lives of these two lab rats for a full year. However, due to some hiccups in the process, they wake up 500 years later. And surprise! America has become dumber and dumber (and dumber and dumber) over the years.
Now comes the part where this film becomes unbankable in theaters. Give me a biting satire and I'm happy (such is the case for Thank You For Smoking), but I don't think the rest of America would have gotten the joke.
You see, part of the fact that America has gotten increasingly stupid over the years, the American dialect has turned into a mix of hillbilly and urban slang with a southern twang. Carl's Jr., a southern fast food joint, has become a mega-conglomerate, and every water fountain, including the ones in the hospital, serves Brawndo, a Gatorade-like beverage (apparently, Brawndo bought the FDA and the FTC, so it's inescapable).
Back to our characters. Luke Wilson gets sent to prison for not having a barcode on his wrist (the trial scene was hilarious), but escapes due to a genius prison escape plan. He walks up to the guard and says, "I'm in the wrong line, I'm actually supposed to be leaving prison today," and simply walks out the door.
Due to an IQ test he took to determine his prison job, the White House discovers that Luke Wilson is the smartest man in America, and is sworn in as the Secretary of the Interior (during a session in the House of Representin'), and is put in charge of solving all of Uhmerica's problems. First on the list is the dust bowl. Turns out the crops have been continuously watered with Brawndo instead of water (it's got what plants crave!).
Now, it's plainly obvious why it was never released. Who wants to sit in a theater and be made fun of for two hours? Especially if you're a fan of those shmucks at Blue Collar Comedy? I'm pretty sure this film would've provoked more angry letters than riotous laughter.
The downside is that this film had a lot of potential for laugh-out-loud moments. It was all almost there. There are a few scenes that are outrageously funny, but most of them are on the brink of being really funny. But that's the battle of satire of this nature. You want to be really funny, but you don't want the audience to miss the point. Which is to pick up a goddamn book and don't let America sink to the level of allowing the largest Costco ever.
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