Saturday Night Live has been responsible for a barrage of chuckleheads over the years. But for every success there's been a failure as miserable as a thousand Night at the Roxbury?s.
Will Ferrell, Bill Murray, Mike Myers and Tina Fey all went on to bigger and better things, while Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz and Chris Kattan all slipped down the toilet bowel of obscurity.
Will Forte is riding the periphery, neither hitting mainstream success but rearing his gurning head in multiple roles in television?and film. Now, like Myers and Ferrell, he has graduated to the big screen with one of his skits, MacGruber, a pastiche on a TV show nobody cares or remembers.
Forte plays MacGruber, an ?80s supercop, grieving for a wife murdered by Cunth (Val Kilmer ? somewhat more physically deflated than he usually is) and sporting the coolest mullet this side of that weird kid off of your local estate. Making up the allies are Ryan Phillippe (where has he been?) and Kristin Wiig (the funniest unfunny person in Hollywood).
It starts off unevenly, with MacGruber being forced back into service a la Rambo III – something that was more successfully lampooned back in Hot Shots: Part Deux. From there, it starts to become a box ticking exercise in action movie clich?s, some with success and some that fall as flat as Simon Cowell?s hair.
And it's easy to predict where the meat of the material comes from, with the villain Cunth prime for ridicule. Although, there's only so much, ?pound some Cunth? ?jokes we can take. Sure, it's a pretty high number, but there's still a limit.
While MacGruber is a take on MacGyver, it's not a reference that?ll register with most of the sane population of the UK. Not that it focuses particularly on anything resembling either the show, or the initial SNL sketches that were such a hit.
This is sporadic comedy, unsure of itself and often stumbling. You often get the feeling that Forte isn't cut out for the lead, and the support are often wasted and given barely anything to do. Kilmer comes away making an impression, which is more than can be said for Wiig or Phillippe.
If Forte bares resemblance to any of his fellow SNL alumni it would be that of Chris Farley, someone of whose appeal seemed restricted to within the borders of the US. Someone so broad they border on condescending, raising the odd chuckle but failing to make any lasting impression.
As MacGruber continues there are some genuinely funny one-liners, while the take on ?80s sex scenes is as distinct, memorable and as funny as Team America?s infamous doll sexcapades. If the film focused on similar moments to send up then there would be a lot more to recommend here. Otherwise, prepare to go long stretches without some ha-ha’s.
While this isn't on the same league of bilge we often are subjected to here at hecklerspray, it isn't the most inventive comedy around. Straight down the middle average laugh-a-thon. Struggling to some up mediocrity, we?ll just finish with ?meh?.
‘Spray Rating: 3/5
Tom J says
Hang on a minute, surely you didn’t just describe MacGyver as a show that “nobody cares or remembers”? Wash your mouth out at once young man! Not only was MacGyver the single best American TV show of the late 80s but it was produced by the Fonz for Christ’s sake. THE FONZ!
Clearly this movie is going to be a pile of shite but let’s not besmirch the good name of MacGyver. Or the Fonz for that matter.
Angus says
Well I almost read this piece, but decided to go and do something I care about: watch my Macgyver DVD’s instead! You should really think before you write, MacGyver is a calssic character near and dear to many folks! And the guy you claim nobody cares about or remembers was in fact the perfered hero to have around in a recent poll over Indiana Jones, Jason Bourne or even Jack Bauer, in the event of disaster! Yup; not only did Americans want to have MacGyver by their side , they PREFER him! Is that enough care and remeberance for you? MacGruber on the other hand…not so much
Da says
Kristen wiig is hilarious despite what you may think and I don’t think Dana carvey is at all obscure.