When I was a kid I thought Robin Williams was the funniest man alive. Then I graduated from middle school and my tastes matured somewhat. These days, if I see a preview for a new Robin Williams movie, chances are I'm going to groan and shake my head.
Likewise, I used to think Mike Myers was hilarious. He was part of my favorite lineup of SNL performers ever, with the likes of Phil Hartman, Jon Lovitz, and Dana Carvey. I loved both the Wayne's World movies. I even really liked So I Married An Axe Murderer. I became a fan of Austin Powers, but only after a second viewing. I politely chuckled through most of The Spy Who Shagged Me, and tolerated Goldmember mostly for old time's sake. Then there was The Cat In The Hat, an abortion I avoided altogether. Even Shrek was entertaining only in spite of Myers' involvement. But that series has worn out its welcome, too.
Now we have The Love Guru. The trailer contains so many warnings of typical re-treaded Myers material, it's practically anti-marketing:
There's so much mugging and winking here it makes me wonder why Myers bothers to play a character at all. It seems he would be much more comfortable making a movie about Mike Myers laughing at himself. It's only a matter of time before his movies start placing audience cues at the bottom of the screen like, "Big Laugh!" or "Uncomfortable Groan".
Other tired Austin Powers scraps being dusted off here, include the awkward "I'm going to tell a joke and then explain the joke I just told" motif.
And don't forget all that midget humor! Midgets! Which wouldn't be half as bad, except for the fact that I just saw In Bruges which now holds the monopoly on good midget jokes.
And we get it, Justin Timberlake! You don't take yourself seriously. Point taken, again and again and again.
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6 comments:
I loved In Bruges. I thought the performances were great, and while the plot was nothing to write home about per se, the strings of dialogue and tension-cutting laughs made for great fun. Also, I can't get enough of Irish accents.
I think you'd really love the play The Pillowman, also by Martin McDonaugh. Destined to be a classic, I think it's one of the best contemporary plays I've seen. It has the same delightful mix of violence and great humor.
The dialogue was definitely the strongest part on In Bruges. For me, the plot was incidental to everything else that was going on.
Did he keep going on about the alcoves?
is in bruges worth seeing in the theatres, or should i wait for the dvd?
I certainly didn't regret paying full price to see it in the theater, and that was with a super fancy $12 ticket price.
It's not for everyone though. I do feel obligated to mention that there is some graphic violence that even took me by surprise, because I wasn't expecting it.
It's at least worth a matinee, if nothing else.
$12?! for that price, it better have been the best. damn. movie. ever.
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