This film is really pretty awful, but whatever feelings of 'shockingly bad' are generally overcome by mundanity (in other words, it is not a 'so bad it's good' kind of film, rather it's one that continually leaves a question mark in the back of the mind, and as a result perhaps it's why I sat watching the film to end, curious as to just how the train wreck would wrap itself up). I recall laughing at the pranks as a 20- something, but whatever creativity that was present in the original tapes it not present in the movie. Every joke and every scene is so contrived that it is a wonder at all that Alan Arkin agreed to take part in the "romp".
I'll give the film a little credit for offering a couple of laughs, but it is nowhere near enough to excuse itself for somehow wriggling its way into existence. As someone else alluded, this creation exists solely because some executive heard the product, thought of the genius concept "movie" and immediately saw dollar signs.
As for character development, it is of course non-existent, as the shorter, mullet-toting John Brennan generally finds himself spewing animosity to anyone and everyone in an awkwardly driven attempt to rehash nicknames and one-liners from the old tapes. Kamal shares less lines and mostly acts as the naive, passive sidekick stumbling into an absurd scenario involving mafia, sausages and lots of running away that ultimately makes no sense. Each scene is set up to derive from the previously established pranks in such a way that we always see the joke coming from a mile away.
I am at a bit of a loss as to how glowing some of these opinions are. All i can say is I hope the reviewers were either really stoned while watching this one or mistakenly watching a different movie altogether. But to each his own.
Bonus: William Hickey playing Don 'Uncle Freddy' Frederico
I'll give the film a little credit for offering a couple of laughs, but it is nowhere near enough to excuse itself for somehow wriggling its way into existence. As someone else alluded, this creation exists solely because some executive heard the product, thought of the genius concept "movie" and immediately saw dollar signs.
As for character development, it is of course non-existent, as the shorter, mullet-toting John Brennan generally finds himself spewing animosity to anyone and everyone in an awkwardly driven attempt to rehash nicknames and one-liners from the old tapes. Kamal shares less lines and mostly acts as the naive, passive sidekick stumbling into an absurd scenario involving mafia, sausages and lots of running away that ultimately makes no sense. Each scene is set up to derive from the previously established pranks in such a way that we always see the joke coming from a mile away.
I am at a bit of a loss as to how glowing some of these opinions are. All i can say is I hope the reviewers were either really stoned while watching this one or mistakenly watching a different movie altogether. But to each his own.
Bonus: William Hickey playing Don 'Uncle Freddy' Frederico