Koutchboom’s Adventures In Terrible Comedy – Superhero Movie
Don’t think just because I’ve been gone that I haven’t been continuing on my journey down the rabbit hole. I have, I’ve just been too depressed to post. Well actually that’s not true, just seen a couple of middling comedies that were decent just couldn’t think of shit to say about them. This next stop on the great Hollywood road trip was almost one of those films. But it irked me enough to wanna get my say on about it. Without further chit chat I bring you……
For starters this isn’t a Friedberg/Seltzer garbage dump of a movie (I’m saving one of their films for my Thelma and Louise style ending to my adventure) it actually comes from the Zucker Brother’s (hence the Scary Movie style Poster). But when this first came out I didn’t know who Craig Mazin was so I figured the Zucker brothers were just slapping their name on the movie after the fact (I was thinking about all those Farrelly brother comedies that they didn’t direct but had their names all over) so I blew the movie off, even though I love spoof films. Well as it turns out the Zucker Brother pretty much directed this film I think they just made Craig do all the bitch work. Also I’ve since since ‘The Specials’ which he directed and quite enjoyed (again another riff on the notion of lame Superheros). Had I known all this back when this was in theaters I probably would’ve gone.
Didn't help the movie that they reused this lame poster concept.
So now that you understand that this is more of a Zucker Brothers style spoof film rather then a series of redone scenes from other movies you can ease up on how shitty this looks. That’s not to say that it puts any Zucker Brothers film to shame (well Scary Movie 4) it is the best looking film they’ve been apart of, but not their funniest. I think the biggest issue is that back when this movie came out there wasn’t a hell of a lot for them to make fun of, so it pretty much is just a redo of Spiderman with some jokes.
I know spoof movies walk a fine line between hysterical and just lame, this movie is firmly balanced on that line. It’s neither straight up lame nor outrageously funny. I sort of feel bad for this movie, because everyone thinks it’s a Friedberg/Seltzer movie so it gets shafted, but it isn’t good enough so when someone watches it the question if it’s a Friedberg/Seltzer comedy or not. Which is a shame, I think had Friedberg/Seltzer never came along maybe this movie could have hit better? Yet at the same time I saw it just a couple days ago and all I remember are a few Leslie Nielsen lines.
Another issue with this movie is that the main star is mini Nathan Fillion. Drake Bell was a child actor whose grown into a a fine Nathan Fillion lookalike, but he is still a kid. He does a good job, he has good comic spoof timing, there is just something about teens doing irony that just doesn’t work, it’s just not as funny. Something about their voice in their delivery doesn’t convey the joke as well as an adult. Just comparing Drake’s character to Neelson who can make anything funny you see the difference age can make. Drake tries really hard so you wish some of his jokes hit better. Christopher McDonald as the villain in this is great though a bit underused.
All in all it’s a very mild spoof film. If you really enjoy spoof films I suggest you check this one out because it is the best looking spoof film ever made, all of the special effects work looks fine compared to the usual shoddy looking spoof special effects. It’s good for a couple of laughs and it doesn’t stick around too long lingering in failed jokes. It’s only problem is that the jokes don’t hit hard enough, they aren’t groaners, they aren’t lame they just aren’t very good, but they are well executed. I wish this had been better.
1 Keith David Should’ve been the Main Character out of 4.
Barfy
kloipy
Echo the Bunnyman
Judge Droid
Jarv
ThereWolf
Xiphos0311
Nice review Koutch.
I’ll pass on this one, thanks.
I’ve yanked that other review- sorry about that.
Yeah I think out of the two of us…….you picked the better series! Let me know when you watch Crash so I can rewatch it as well.
Coming soon-
I’ve got M. Butterfly to find and review before I watch that.
Can’t say I’m looking forward to any of the next few Cronenberg films- Naked Lunch, M. Butterfly, Crash, Existenz, and Spider are all shit to a greater or lesser degree.
Spider in particular is mind-numbing.
The first Scary Movie was actually not that bad a film- the I know what you did last summer sequence was actually funny.
Scary Movie 2 is fucking painful.
Haven’t seen any of those douchebags’ work
Wrong! The first Scary Movie fucking sucks.
It isn’t great, but compared to the rest of these type of films (and I want to punch Marlon Wayans in it) it seems to be superb.
There are very few good spoofs. Airplane is one of them.
I enjoyed Scary Movie three, that was a Zucker Brother movie (so was 4). But SM 3 was probably their most redoing of scenes from random movies, i think they just did it the best. But the reason SM3 and Airplane worked so well was because they just didn’t stick to the genre they were spoofing, sure that was the man riff but they spoof tons of shit.
I think it all started with Not Another Teen Movie (which again ISN’T a Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer joint) started the whole pigeonholing of a spoof movie can only spoof movies of the genre it’s spoofing. Not Another Teen Movie is by far the funniest of them, mainly because it has some what of a story and a lot of the jokes just work on their own. But after that, it was like you couldn’t make a spoof film unless you just took shit from the genre of films you mention in the title. At least with Not Another Teen Movie they went through decades of Teen flicks not just the past 2 years worth. Which is all the Friedberg/Seltzer brothers seem to be able to do.
So MAYBE you could make a good Vampire Spoof (i need to hunt down that Landis film Jarv reviewed) if you took into account the past century of vampire stuff, but just the past two years of junk? No thank you.
Also Superhero Movie does suffer from just sticking to the genre of film it’s spoofing, they don’t really go outside of the superhero genre in their spoofs.
I actually really like Not Another Teen Movie. The scene where he sings ‘Janies got a gun’ is pretty damn funny.
Yeah I love Not Another Teen Movie I think that’s cause Evans was so good. I’d put this movie a couple notches below this movie. I’d say Not Another Teen Movie, Scary Movie 3, Superhero Movie, Scary Movie 1,2,4, Death, anything Seltzer/Friedberg.
There are bits of Teen Movie that are fucking inspired (Janie’s got a gun, like Droid mentioned). Overall, though, I think it’s a bit patchy.
Also, Koutch, Innocent Blood isn’t a proper spoof, it’s a Landis homage, and a fucking good one- think more along the lines of American Werewolf in London than Scary Movie.
Yeah the head writer for Cinematical was tweeting about this actually right when I was watching Superhero Movie. That there is a difference betwen Spoofing/Lampooning/parody/Farce/comedy and it’s odd to think that but it’s true.
Yeah it is patchy. Evans is good. Quaid is kinda funny at times. The whole football game flashback thing was shit. I think some of the best bits were the throwaway comments, like at the prom someone comments that they didn’t realise everyone in the school was a professional dancer. Or Evans going on about how bad Janie looks because she wears glasses and has paint spattered overalls.
hahahah I love the start of the football game when some random shit just happens and then it’s half time and the announcers says “That was the fastest first half of football I’ve ever seen.” There are a lot of good lines in that movie. “There’s a hole in the side of your house?”
Mr. Briggs: Hey, uhh… I might be late to pick you guys up.
Janey: Why, do you have a job interview today, daddy?
Mr. Briggs: No honey, I’ll probably just be waaaay too drunk.
Janey: Oh, that’s good, we don’t want you drinking and driving.
Mr. Briggs: Oh, I’ll be driving. I’ll just be too shit-faced to remember to pick you guys up.
We can’t start moving until she starts walking again.
I give them handjobs.
The whole song number before prom and the token black guy stuff.
Also Jaime Pressly fucking kills in that movie as well.
Molly Ringwald’s cameo and Evan’s last speech are also well done. As is the Cruel Intentions spoof- “You’re my sister!” “Only by blood”
biggest laugh in ‘Teen Movie” for me was during the song
Whiny kid: True love is what I want the most…
Dirty cafe worker: I just jerked off in your french toast!
That whole prom song was pretty funny. Shit things about it (as theres far too much praise going on) was the chick from party of 5 (sorry koutch, that ‘jerk guys off’ line was dumb), the “i just want someone to take a dump on my chest” bit was unfunny, the toilet spraying shit everywhere, and the Ducky best friend character.
Naw the hand job line was funny. The spray was pretty funny just how fucking ridiculous it was. The Ducky best friend character….sure that was dumb don’t even remember it, didn’t he turn into a monster or gets hit by a car are some shit?
I think he got hit by a bus.
Best Friend was cringeworthing and unfunny all the way through.
I think overall there are more hits then misses in Not Another Teen Movie.
Ok I remember now I was trying to remember. We were bored in high school and the Not Another Teen Movie DVDwas back when they would put like 15 subtitles on them. So we went through a couple of them for when the Token Black dude says BLING BLING!!! and one of them was BIMBO BIMBO!!! I can’t remember if it was French or the Goat Fucker language.
Also when Token is trying to talk to Evans after prom and Evans just runs off. MOTHER FUCKER! That was great.
I’ll have to say no to this one. I want to actually see a good comedy, not a middling comedy yet again.
Perhaps they should just stop making comedies altogether.
Preferably one with Jennifer Aniston as someone “kooky” eh, pillows?
Ouch baby, very ouch.
Oh come on. That was funny.
Alas I actually had to sit through those shitfests to get to that “funny”.
Not worth it on my end.
I really wish she would stop making movies. I mean, she could come over to my house and all, but stop making movies dammit!
However, I don’t.
I do have to watch Almodovar films though, so it isn’t all wine and roses here.
But with all the shit you make your missus watch, Almadovar is a small price to pay.
Just saw he’s got a new one coming out this time without Penelope…if that’s any help?
But seriously…JPT how was The Switch?
Only someone that’s never seen Matador could say that.
Yeah, I’ll be honest and say I’ve only seen one or two Almadovar. All About My Mother and… i can’t think of any others.
I know. I must keep this fact hidden from Mrs. Jarv.
She’s making ominous rumbling noises about Vicky Christina Barcelona as well, which I really don’t want to see. Ever.
Oh, I haven’t seen The Switch. There’s a possibility down the line I would have to sit through that shit, but only when it’s on video.
Even then, I will try my best to bury that fucker and hope that Mrs. Pillow forgets about it.
VCB wasn’t too bad. Pretty decent ogling. But Javier Bardem shits me for some reason. Just seems like a massive cunt. He’s like a latin Bradley Cooper.
Tie Me Up Tie Me Down, Live Flesh, Talk to Her, Matador, Bad Education, All About My Mother,
Complete crap. The only two worth watching are Talk to Her and Bad Education.
Missed one- Volver (which I slept through, so can’t comment).
I’ve avoided this one, even though I like Zucker comedies. The Naked Gun is a top 5 comedy for me. Maybe I’ll see it one day.
Scary Movie 3 was shit as well.
These movies need someone like Lucas Black to attain some credibility.
Maybe Tyrese.
Nice one, Boom.
To be honest, just the title put me off. I’ll probably laugh once in it – and that’s all. I find these kind of movies too ‘knowing’, my attention wanders constantly.
I admire the folk who can sit through these.