Film Reviews

MacGruber

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Val Kilmer
• Details: US/99mins 16

Cinematic incarnations of Saturday Night Live skits have had more Houdini-like misses (It's Pat, Coneheads) than bona-fide hits (Blues Brothers, Wayne's World). But this parody of iconic 80s mullet, MacGyver, is geared more towards those who like their humour with cursing and repeated threats of castration, than the usual safer, teen friendlier efforts. SNL writer and performer Will Forte headlines, and certainly isn't afraid to put to put his body (mostly his ass) on the line to get laughs. Puerile, abrasive and repetitive, it also manages to be pretty funny at points, even if it can't sustain its momentum past forty-odd minutes.
MacGruber is a former government operative, who retired after his wife was blown up on their wedding day by Val Kilmer's hilariously named, Dieter Von Cunth. Coaxed back into action after Cunth steals a nuclear warhead, MacGruber sets about assembling a crack team of specialists (played by WWE Superstars) and then promptly blows them up by accident. Left with his wife's best mate, and Ryan Phillipe's by-the-book solider, the three attempt to stop Kilmer's bad guy from nuking Washington and "pound some Cunth."
Garnering most of its laughs through the idiotic MacGruber, while all the supporting actors play it completely straight, everything else here - including the ridiculous plot - plays second fiddle to the gags. The daftness conveyed and enjoyment of said silliness may fully depend on the knowledge of the 80s character having the piss taken out of him in the first place. This may be why this critically well-received comedy failed to find an audience in America, as most cinema goers attracted to this type of comedy didn't have a clue what exactly they were supposed to be laughing at.
MacGruber is the kind of film that shows a man having sex with the ghost of his dead wife in a graveyard, so he can feel OK about shagging her best friend. He's an moron, and says stupid things; some of them funny, some of them not. But, for the most part, first time helmer Jorma Taccone has the beats of the comedy down pat, and Forte really pushes every gag as far as it will go. Sure, it's really grasping at straws come the final third, but if this type of piss-take humour appeals to you, you'll be laughed out at that point anyway.

Review by Mike Sheridan