Within only the first five minutes the movie shows an odd dichotomy, being filled with some jokes and gags that are unremittingly silly but clever and fun, and others that are so forced and contrived that the very inclusion feels like the movie is talking down to even the youngest of kids in the audience. This will continue to be true in the next five minutes, and the five minutes to follow that, and so on down the line for the better part of ninety-odd minutes. This same dichotomy applies to the dialogue and scene writing, the acting and direction, the plot development, and every small detail that feeds into the storytelling and humor. I remember very well seeing 'The Stupids' advertised when it was first released, just as surely as I recall hearing nothing about it at any time thereafter - brought into the world, and quickly forgotten. Within only the first five minutes, I begin to understand why. Ultimately this is actually solidly enjoyable, but the viewing experience is at times either easily amusing, or laborious, and the sum total certainly suffers for the fact of it.
For what it's worth, this is well made. Even at their most garish the production design and art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup range from imaginative, to lovely, to just plain splendid. There are some very recognizable names and faces in the cast, even if only in cameos, and everyone happily leans into the absurdity with all the earnestness they can muster. Starring as the titular family, of course Jessica Lundy, Alex McKenna, Bug Hall, and above all Tom Arnold get the most time on-screen, and it sure seems like they're having a good time with the ridiculousness. Given a small supporting part, Frankie Faison threatens to outshine everyone else involved. Any stunts and effects that are employed are actually very well done - almost downright impressive, and maybe the best part of the picture, or at least the most consistent. Christopher Stone's score quite seems to borrow at times from many other well-known themes and composers, but it's most assuredly smart and entertaining in its own right.
Despite the unmistakable unevenness, there's some genuine wit and intelligence in Brent Forrester's screenplay. This includes not least some quips about the police, and Jenny McCarthy, that have frankly gotten better, more cheeky, and more underhandedly shrewd with age in the past 27 years. A pair of scenes at almost exactly the halfway mark are kind of brilliant, and illustrate that as much as the title may waver back and forth in various ways, it's all perfectly deliberate, for better or worse. Some moments elicit a tired sigh, but no few others earned real laughs. It's absolute nonsense, sometimes overbearingly so, yet I'd be lying if I said this weren't fun at its best. As a matter of fact, all the best efforts of the cast and crew alike bear considerable fruit in the second half and especially the last act, becoming much sharper and more funny than I'd have ever supposed sights unseen, or even when the feature began.
This is a film that's definitely less than perfect in its blend of adventure and comedy. Large portions of the early scenes aim for stridently cheap bits that are far too weak to make the grade, coming off as plainly artificial, and we get glimpses of these later on, too. Some inclusions are just too over the top for their own good. Still, between all the hard work behind the scenes, unexpectedly bright writing, unreservedly wholehearted embrace of the tomfoolery by the actors, and the reliable direction of John Landis, the end result is a lot more worthwhile than I'd have ever believed without seeing it for myself. I understand why this was received so poorly in the first place; there's a level of false ham-handedness pervading the proceedings that's a lot to sit through as a viewer of any age, and where the jokes fall flat, they REALLY fall flat. I'm happy to say this notably better and more entertaining than it seems from the outset, however. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but to come across it, this is surprisingly worthwhile. 'The Stupids' may not be a must-see classic, but when all is said and done it's a fairly enjoyable romp, and sometimes that's good enough.
For what it's worth, this is well made. Even at their most garish the production design and art direction, costume design, and hair and makeup range from imaginative, to lovely, to just plain splendid. There are some very recognizable names and faces in the cast, even if only in cameos, and everyone happily leans into the absurdity with all the earnestness they can muster. Starring as the titular family, of course Jessica Lundy, Alex McKenna, Bug Hall, and above all Tom Arnold get the most time on-screen, and it sure seems like they're having a good time with the ridiculousness. Given a small supporting part, Frankie Faison threatens to outshine everyone else involved. Any stunts and effects that are employed are actually very well done - almost downright impressive, and maybe the best part of the picture, or at least the most consistent. Christopher Stone's score quite seems to borrow at times from many other well-known themes and composers, but it's most assuredly smart and entertaining in its own right.
Despite the unmistakable unevenness, there's some genuine wit and intelligence in Brent Forrester's screenplay. This includes not least some quips about the police, and Jenny McCarthy, that have frankly gotten better, more cheeky, and more underhandedly shrewd with age in the past 27 years. A pair of scenes at almost exactly the halfway mark are kind of brilliant, and illustrate that as much as the title may waver back and forth in various ways, it's all perfectly deliberate, for better or worse. Some moments elicit a tired sigh, but no few others earned real laughs. It's absolute nonsense, sometimes overbearingly so, yet I'd be lying if I said this weren't fun at its best. As a matter of fact, all the best efforts of the cast and crew alike bear considerable fruit in the second half and especially the last act, becoming much sharper and more funny than I'd have ever supposed sights unseen, or even when the feature began.
This is a film that's definitely less than perfect in its blend of adventure and comedy. Large portions of the early scenes aim for stridently cheap bits that are far too weak to make the grade, coming off as plainly artificial, and we get glimpses of these later on, too. Some inclusions are just too over the top for their own good. Still, between all the hard work behind the scenes, unexpectedly bright writing, unreservedly wholehearted embrace of the tomfoolery by the actors, and the reliable direction of John Landis, the end result is a lot more worthwhile than I'd have ever believed without seeing it for myself. I understand why this was received so poorly in the first place; there's a level of false ham-handedness pervading the proceedings that's a lot to sit through as a viewer of any age, and where the jokes fall flat, they REALLY fall flat. I'm happy to say this notably better and more entertaining than it seems from the outset, however. It's nothing one needs to go out of their way to see, but to come across it, this is surprisingly worthwhile. 'The Stupids' may not be a must-see classic, but when all is said and done it's a fairly enjoyable romp, and sometimes that's good enough.