Major Benson Winifred Payne’s cynical, ripped-from-the-battlefield approach to leadership may turn some off but it’s hard to argue with the results. Before dismissing his tactics as plainly toxic it’s important to remember that Payne is carrying around the same psychological scars and post-traumatic stress as is commonly attributed to Heath Ledger’s Joker of The Dark Knight fame. Both Payne and Ledger’s Joker are deeply resentful of being used up by the military and unceremoniously discharged. Both in turn deploy their military training, natural charisma and acerbic – some would say caustic – wit to devastating effect, quite literally cracking jokes and laughing in the face of mortal danger. While neither are physically imposing, both are as dangerous hand-to-hand and with weapons as they are strategically. One wouldn’t want to face down either. Lastly, both are supremely intelligent, dynamic leaders (albeit with different endgames). There is a strong case that Payne and Ledger’s Joker are obvious victims of their chosen professions and stricken with trauma that makes it impossible to return to civilian life. Going into Major Payne with this perspective certainly darkens the proceedings. If Karyn Parson’s Ms. Walburn doesn’t unknowingly intervene at the exact right moment would Major Payne have broken Tiger’s finger? We’ll never know. It’s still a hilarious film with a performance by Damon Wayans that has rightfully gained a cult following. Major Payne is a silly nineties comedy on its face but dig just a bit deeper and you’ll uncover biting commentary on the merits/demerits of traditional masculinity and the importance and value of a woman’s traditionally softer voice in balancing it. The genesis of the screenplay is the problematic nature of how military service members are treated after being deemed no longer useful. It’s heady stuff that transforms a classic yet breezy family comedy into something with enough heft to warrant a repeat viewing.
If an individual believes themselves to be a superhero and identifies as such, who are you or I to tell them no? Why would an otherwise sane citizen choose vigilantism? Who polices ignored communities where crime is often the worst? Blankman takes piercing comedic aim at these questions. It’s a knowingly lighthearted and humorous film boasting a tongue-in-cheek premise that works fascinatingly well as an early deconstruction of the (now) cluttered and often cookie-cutter superhero movie genre. Wayans’ Darryl Walker/Blankman is a hero without influence, money or power, super or otherwise. He’s smarter than most, possesses unshakable integrity and demonstrates more than a few behaviors (repetitive vocalizations, extreme difficulty with social situations, clumsiness, more) associated with Aspergers Syndrome. He’s also deadly serious about protecting his crime-infested neighborhood. Imagine the preceding as the profile for the lead protagonist of a 2021 superhero film - it would be applauded for subverting and advancing the genre. Dave Bautista’s Drax of Guardians of the Galaxy fame is rightfully acknowledged as first autism-spectrum superhero. Did Damon Wayans’ Blankman beat him to the punch 27 years ago? There’s a strong case. Blankman is as likable as protagonists come and the psychology of his character differs from Bruce Wayne/Batman only in wealth attainment. The film pokes fun at and revels in the inherent ridiculousness of caped heroism in a manner that feels like a thoughtful love letter to 1966 Batman. Not bad for a film debuting 6 years before Bryan Singer’s X-Men. Damon Wayans takes lead writing credit and I wonder if he knew in 1994 how the superhero movie genre would progress. Blankman is silly fun and tailor-made for die-hard fans of that Wayans Bros/In Living Color-era brand of humor. I happen to exist at the apex of the vortex of the two. RIP J5.
Adult perspective is a hell of a thing. I’d never looked at or thought of 1991 cult classic Drop Dead Fred as an adult after watching it roughly 50 times as an adolescent. Themes covered to varying levels include depression/mental health, friendship, loneliness, selfishness, marital strife, the worship of wealth/influence, love, love unrequited, sexuality, infatuation, adultery, and beauty standards. All of the aforementioned...in a broad comedy with a marketing bent leaning curiously towards children. Drop Dead Fred, silly as it might present, addresses the heavy and heady stuff we’ve come to expect from Academy Award bait films and does so with 5x as many arrows in its quiver and actual fun to be had. It is also just as hilarious today as it was upon release. But it’s dark. Very, very dark. It’s easy to watch as a jaded giant (i.e. adult) and point out the obvious black comedy but 11-15 year old me thought of Fred as the sole attraction and relegated Phoebe Cates' pixie-like Elizabeth to the background. I couldn’t see the abject horror in the bludgeoned-into-the-ground and repressed Elizabeth going through a mental breakdown that would unintentionally summon the world’s most dangerous imaginary friend. That Drop Dead Fred is unceasingly entertaining and funny at all is more frightening when you consider that Fred exists only as a coping mechanism for the unimaginable hurt and isolation felt by Elizabeth. It’s heartbreaking. I missed all of this as a youngling. A Princess Leia-era Carrie Fisher shines as Elizabeth’s only real friend, stealing every scene in which she appears. Shout-out to Bridget Fonda for a tiny but memorable role as 80’s style home-wrecker. Why’d she stop making movies?
Drop Dead Fred is a special experience and time capsule for an "all in" style of filmmaking that was uncommon in 1991 and unheard of now . I highly recommend you go back and experience it again (or for the first time). Fred serves as an uplifting reminder that it’s normal and healthy to be a little crazy. 10/10.
I’ve always taken a liking to films that effectively and believably distill even the most fantastical themes down to their human elements. Grosse Pointe Blank is a sterling example of such a film. It also happens to be amongst the funniest films you’ll ever see with a soundtrack full of the catchiest music the 80’s has to offer. Our protagonist, played by John Cusack in possibly his most memorable role, is a government spook/assassin-for-hire who entered said field because he “scored a certain way on an aptitude test.” You might describe him as a sort of new age nihilist. The movie forces us to consider if we can truly like and root for a man who has dedicated his considerable talents to deleting from the earth those chosen for such a fate by his handlers. We’ve come to accept that action heroes kill. It’s not a big deal. But Cusack’s Martin Blank kills for money and the movie goes to great lengths to showcase the specifics of how he does so including the business end of it all. It’s no small feat that Cusack and the snappy script create the necessary sympathy for Blank. This is a film about some dark stuff that feels pretty sunny. Blank is a calculating assassin with an impressive resume of kills both shown and referenced in dialogue but remains likable because he cares about others, wants to be a better person, and rationalizes his behavior by viewing himself as a simple messenger (of death). As he states multiple times throughout the film, it’s not personal. Once you join Martin Blank in compartmentalizing all the killing, it becomes clear that the central theme of this film is one damn near all of us can relate to: moving on. Blank has done horrible, unforgivable things but seeks to turn the page and make amends. There is nothing novel about an assassin who has grown tired of the lifestyle but Blank has a uniquely interesting arc: a blank slate killer-for-hire walking away from his past life by walking into his high school reunion and getting back with the girl he abandoned on prom night. Only in the movies, right?
Grosse Pointe Blank should be required viewing when it comes to dark comedies. Jeremy Piven shines in a supporting role. 10/10.
Borat 2 is not as consistently funny as the original but when the jokes hit, they hit hard. This time around Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) is joined by co-star and newcomer to US film, Maria Bakalova. Bakalova’s Tutar, Borat’s clueless-but-for-no-fault-of-her-own daughter is a scene stealer. Her character has a real arc in a movie that doesn’t care much about anything other than packing as many gags into its runtime as possible. To say that Tutar is treated wrongly by everyone she meets is a vast understatement. This is a franchise (Borat existed and thrived on Da Ali G show well before the first film) that derives its humor from shockingly tasteless encounters where Borat’s pseudo-real-life targets are often revealed as just as depraved as the fictional Borat. Tutar takes over for Borat during many of these gross-out encounters. Bakalova does a great job but there are a couple of instances where the script doesn’t do her any favors. One first act scene in particular is needlessly mean-spirited and unfunny – it lacks the thoughtful underlying commentary we’ve come to expect from Cohen. You’ll surely identify said scene immediately. I had to look away. Thankfully the remainder of the film is a breezy 90 minutes of the same Cohen schtick that’s made him (in)famous. If you enjoyed Borat, you will enjoy the subsequent film. Don’t forget to vote.
Borat 2 receives a score of 7/10 for general audiences and an 8.5/10 for fans of Cohen and his biting commentary on gender, race, sexuality and politics.
First things first: Mel Gibson is not fat. Calling him chubby is a stretch. I don’t know that I laughed more than once or twice during the relentlessly grim Fatman. That’s problematic as the film is marketed as a dark comedy. I went in hoping and expecting something reminiscent of the moody fun of holiday classic Bad Santa. Fatman is no Bad Santa. The latter is unceasingly gloomy yet uplifting by films end whereas Fatman is a meandering slog that doesn’t know if it wants to be funny or commentary on the corporatization of Christmas. There are some interesting ideas at play but none are crystallized. None of the characters feel fleshed out or believable. Child actor Chance Hurstfield does all he can with a “my parents are rich and give me things but don’t actually care about me” backstory we’ve seen a thousand times before. Walter Goggins' Jonathan Miller gets all the best scenes and has some real darkness bubbling under the surface. Goggins has a commanding leading man presence but the shock of seeing people randomly murdered diminishes after the third or fourth time. It doesn’t help that we are left to figure out for ourselves why he is the way he is. He’s obsessed with vintage toys from Santa’s shop. Why? Take a guess. Writers Eshom and Ian Nelms thought up a promising premise but aren't able to execute a logical or thematically compelling story around said premise. The trailer presents the film as a clever and fresh take on the holiday film. It isn't. There is nothing here to warrant a recommendation. It’s quite uninspired and a chore to watch. I really wanted to like it.
Fatman receives a 4/10 for general audiences and a 5/10 if you just need to watch a non-traditional holiday movie (watch Bad Santa instead).
Coming to America is deservedly revered as a seminal moment in movie history. It personifies the notion of infinite re-watchability. You can freeze just about any frame and meme it effortlessly. Is there higher praise one can bestow on a comedy film, particularly one that is well over 30 years old? Is there another hard R comedy approaching its cultural and historical significance? It transcends humor with a renegade wit and no apologies. Eddie Murphy in whiteface portraying a “stereotypical” elder Jewish man? Check. Depictions of wildly dangerous animals roaming about in a fictional and also stereotypical African country? That’s in there too. It’s often said that only Murphy, arguably the brightest African-American movie star on the planet then and now, could get the film greenlit. It’ll be very interesting to see if the upcoming 2021 sequel leans again into hot-button issues or plays it safe. I’d bet on the latter. I’ll be the first to apologize if I’m wrong. It’s often overlooked that the emotional core of Coming to America is that of a romantic comedy. The film takes Prince Akeem’s desire to find love completely seriously. It’s not a joke to Akeem and the script is smart to make sure that it’s not a joke to us either. The manner in which Akeem and Shari Headley’s Lisa McDowell meet and end up husband and wife is touching and works as a satisfying self-contained arc for each. The interactions between the two and behavior of the other McDowells (as well as Eriq La Salle’s jerri curl wearing Darryl) provide biting commentary on the de-valuation of those without means and fetishization of the rich. We should all consider how others make us feel and not what they can do for us. That was Akeem’s message. It’s a good message. If you’ve only viewed Coming to America on TV I recommend you catch it on streaming or purchase the blu-ray. It’s a completely different experience minus broadcast TV censorship.
Coming to America is the Citizen Kane of hard R comedies. 10/10.
There is a reasonable case that from 1990-2000, give or take, Martin Lawrence was the most bankable and reliable tv and (eventually movie) star working. Never short on headlines of the unfortunate and controversial sort, Lawrence was nonetheless singularly unmatched in screen presence and something of a human special effect. Although their careers would overlap a bit, he was in many ways a precursor to Jim Carrey. Both were known for otherworldly talents in physical comedy, impressions, and churning out movies of varying quality at an enviable clip. Blue Streak, directed by Les Mayfield and co-starring Luke Wilson and a pre-superstardom Dave Chappelle, is peak Martin Lawrence. He essentially plays a version of his lead character from the mega-hit Martin television show. It works exceedingly well since talking fast and being one step ahead of everyone in his circumference is the main Lawrence feature in both settings. Well known for his unforgettable characters on Martin, Lawrence in one early Blue Streak scene goes into full costume mode as a pizza delivery man with delusions of infiltration. It’s a completely throwaway interaction…and also one of the funniest moments in a film that is hilarious wall-to-wall. Luke Wilson plays the straight man/good cop and totally commits, stealing almost every scene he appears in. If you’ve yet to see this film, check it out. You’ve got nothing to lose.
Blue Streak receives a score of 8/10 for general audiences and a 9.5/10 for Lawrence enthusiasts/fans of velvet jumpsuits.
Tropic Thunder doesn’t get the credit it deserves. It’s loud and dumb but also whip smart – quite the juggling act. It benefits from being directed and produced by Hollywood royalty/movie industry veteran Ben Stiller. Stiller’s track record, gravitas and respect in Hollywood circles afford the film the luxury and free reign to provide credible commentary on how and why movies even get made. It exists on a unique meta Tropic Thunder-y plane of existence that isn’t matched by any other film I am aware of. While on the surface a simple spoof of action blockbusters like Apocalypse Now and Saving Private Ryan, Stiller takes surprisingly thoughtful and piercing aim at Hollywood, sending up creatively-bankrupt-yet-uber-profitable Sandler/Murphy/Carrey-type movie franchises, gratuitous product placement, drug addiction, Oscar bait films, actors who pursue Oscar-bait roles and unscrupulous movie producers. And it has Robert Downey, Jr. in blackface. For contextual reasons I should note that I am an African-American and I wasn’t offended by seeing the eventual Iron Man in blackface. As I sit here in 2020 (still not offended btw), I wonder how they were able to do it and not cause a ruckus. Could this film be made in 2020? Were times that different 12 years ago? Why did RDJR get nominated for an Academy Award? He was fine but I didn’t see any performances in this film that deserved Oscar nominations. And I LOVE the movie.
Tropic Thunder gets a 8 out of 10 for general audiences and a 10/10 for those fake trailers. I can’t lie, I would totally go and see Scorcher (all of them) if it was real. I guess that makes me part of the problem.
It’s Dave Chappelle week here at The QC and while his role in Robin Hood: Men in Tights was a small one, it counts. I re-watched the Mel Brooks produced/directed comedy for this review and was pleasantly surprised that Chappelle’s Ahchoo plays into the story more than I remembered. Seeing a then relatively unknown Chappelle garner some of the biggest laughs is a treat and of course unsurprising when you consider the heights he would reach as a comedian and actor. Men in Tights (1993) wisely sends up the timeless Robin Hood-must-save-the-villagers trope and is just as good today as it was back in the early nineties. It’s Spaceballs set during the Crusades. The first hour is endlessly rewatchable and filled with rapid fire sight gags, a few of which went right over my head as a youngling. The first meeting between Robin of Locksley and Little John is comedy gold. I’ll never tire of seeing Little John struggle not to drown in a puddle of water four inches deep. Anachronisms are frequent and played up as only Mel Brooks could, from Prince John closing the castle gates with a car fob to Achoo’s snapback fedora. The third act falters a bit under the weight of expectations set by the first sixty minutes and that is my only criticism. Skip the last half hour. Problem solved.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights is a cult classic and should be watched by all. 10/10 for the first sixty minutes and 6/10 for the final thirty.
Can we get a movie with just Gosling and the anthropomorphic cigarette smoking bumblebee from his dreams? My totally out of context intro serves to illustrate that everything Gosling does is eminently watchable whereas Russell Crowe…not so much. I’m not saying Crowe is a bad actor, he’s quite good, only that I can’t recall a Gosling role I didn’t like whereas with Crowe it begins with Gladiator and drops precipitously from there. All said, the two have solid chemistry and the 1977 setting is an interesting neon-tinged backdrop. And the wardrobes, oh the wardrobes. I couldn’t dress as cool as these two if I tried. I also loved seeing Kim Basinger again. Can we get more roles for Basinger? Hopefully her agent sees this. Real Quick: The highlight for me was the sweet but strained relationship between Gosling and his daughter. She knows he is a badly flawed man and loves him anyway. We could learn a thing or two from her.