Saturday, September 13, 2008

"Hamlet 2" (2008, Dir: Andrew Fleming)

SHOOT ME NOW. This was worse than "The Happening" - which at least ended up being funny unintentionally. The intentional humor in this travesty falls flat EVERY TIME, and the lead character - repulsively played by a godawful Steve Coogan - is completely execrable. It's a complete train wreck from start to finish.

The production tries so hard to create an "iconic" comic jag, and Coogan is so blatantly looking for the kind of instant fame that accompanied the Carell and Black performances from "The 40 Year-Old Virgin" and "School of Rock" that the entire project just stinks of wretched desperation.

The only bright spots come in some of the supporting performances. Screen newcomer Skylar Astin (he was in "Spring Awakening") is actually quite funny as an awkward, sexually ambiguous drama student. Catherine Keener is, for the most part, same old same old, but she has one funny scene in a bar. Amy Poehler is funny, and Elisabeth Shue is a good sport and, gasp, touching, playing herself. David Arquette is funny in a small role.

I must admit that the "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" number was mildly amusing, but I still wish Coogan wasn't in it. On the whole, a pathetic attempt at farce.

1 comment:

Fox said...

I totally agree with you Hamlet 2. It seemed so overly wink-wink, nudge-nudge and the jokes were rather predictable.

The worst I can say is that it seemed so typical of the "offbeat" comedies that continually come out of Sundance.