"I'M SIMULTANEOUSLY HORRIFIED AND FASCINATED!"
Added 10/31/2009
Steve Coogan deserves most of the credit for making this familiar story go far beyond my expectations. His hilarious and demented performance had me laughing from beginning to end and the musical finale is absolutely hysterical. This film might not be for everyone and you certainly have to be in the right mood to enjoy it, but for those who like loopy, off the wall films with inspired insanity, this one is a big surprise and a lot of fun with some snappy tunes to boot!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Rock Me Sexy Jesus!
Added 10/16/2009
HAMLET 2 is corny, stupid, ridiculous and ludicrous, all at the same time ...which helps it succeed on some bizarre, comedic level.
Steven Coogan (Tropic Thunder), the king of losers, stars as Dana Marschz, a failing drama teacher at a high school where only two students regularly attend his classes. His loser status is enhanced throughout the film as his job faces the school district's financial axe, his wife Brie (Catherine Keener, An American Crime) runs off with another loser, and his classroom becomes overrun by gangbanger wannabes who've been run out of their own building. But with the new infusion of students comes an opportunity for Dana. Always wanting to produce his own musical/drama stage play, he comes up with a great idea: Hamlet 2. Yes, THAT Hamlet. "But doesn't everyone die at the end of Hamlet?" someone asks rather perceptively.
Though this be madness, yet there is method in it. I think...
Hamlet 2 is just ...wrong. Wrong on every level imaginable. Religiously, philosophically, and instructionally, this is just so ...wrong! Which makes it just a tad alright. As Dana unleashes his play, great and terrible things come out, including Christian extremists and art critics. When the phenomenal stage song "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" begins playing, it proves just how off-kilter this film really is. Which, again, makes it a touch okay. "I get it now! Jesus is sexy!"
The film lacks coherency in terms of a distinct direction. It seems that the goal of the film is for Dana to hit rock bottom before succeeding with an impossibly absurd stage story sequel to one of the greatest plays of all time.
The funny thing about Hamlet 2 is that the acting is really bad. And it appears that it is MEANT to be bad so that there is bad acting within a story that's about bad acting (and writing). Even so, this hints at the level of comedy that director Andrew Fleming was shooting for; a layer upon layer theme that works and doesn't work.
But, if for no other reason, you need to watch the film to see the "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" number. It is so bad, it's good.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Well worth a try
Added 7/11/2009
I wasn't prepared to like HAMLET 2, but solid acting, witty lines and loopy plot turns had me enjoying the movie thoroughly.
A would-be playwright actor, the unpronounceable Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), has reached rock bottom in his attempt to turn popular movies into stage plays; his take on Eric Brockovich is so lacking he gets run out of town. So Dana leads his ragtag rep company (wife played by Cynthia Keener, buddy by David Arquette) into uncharted territory: Tucson, Arizona. There he stumbles upon a gig as drama teacher at "West Mesa High School," a down-at-the-heels edu-barn whose programs are constantly being cut down to nothing.
**SPOILERS** At first, Dana's largely minority drama students don't see much in this white interloper, but eventually he wins them over -- not by cunning or caring but because in Dana's alcoholism and failure, the students feel sorry for HIM. (And help him, a fun inversion on the usual [and occasionally patronizing] film like STAND AND DELIVER or DEAD POET'S SOCIETY.) Dana's neediness and overall air of incompetence may put viewers in mind of "Corky St. Clair" from the Christopher Guest flick, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN.
So Dana and Company help each other into a sequel of one of the most sequel-proof plays in Western Civilization -- Hamlet. Actually, the resulting "Hamlet 2" doesn't seem to have that much to do with Shakespeare's treasure, but much of it resembles "Jesus Christ Superstar." (By now, you can guess who plays Jesus.)**
This is a cue for some of the most knowing (i.e., most hilariously awful) parodies of modern Broadway song and dance, from early Andrew Lloyd Weber through post-millenial "Rent," full scaffolding and all. Largely written by the production staff and apparently sung by a pick-up crew, these song howlers include titles like "I Love You, Sexy Jesus," "Raped in the Face," and "(You're as) Gay as the Day is Long" ("You like it all sizes, but you love it extra long"). Thank heaven no one was allowed in or out of the auditorium once this once-in-a-lifetime experience was experienced!
Delightful performances in HAMLET 2, first of all the lead, Steve Coogan as Dana Marcz. Great support comes from a number of veterans including David Arquette, Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Shue; my personal favorite is "Corky Feldstein" played with liberal (in both senses of the word) delight by Amy Poehler as the ACLU lawyer who insists that the increasingly blasphemous and obscene play gets played. (No. Matter. What.)
Somewhere along the line, HAMLET 2 the film develops its own kind of lopsided sweetness, which is what redeems this feature-length film as more than just a thirty-minute "Family Guy" parody of Tin Pan Alley. I won't claim it is as good as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN but it has that kind of mock-the-genre touch and sympathetic (though comic) insight. Sadly, some of the language alone got this film an "R" rating; I for one think clued-in teens would have enjoyed this spoof when it originally played movie houses. Bells-and-whistles are adequate but the DVD lacks a running Commentary. Nonetheless, I recommend it.
Production Note: The film was actually shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Coulda been a contender
Added 7/6/2009
When I picked this up, I knew I would either laugh endlessly (as I did at Best in Show) or hate its testy and self-righteous smugness (Waiting for Guffman). Surprisingly, I had neither reaction. This is one of those sum is less than the whole of its parts products, where the more you reflect, the less you admire. I laughed aloud many times. I enjoyed myself overall. I did not regret in any way the time spent on this. But I would never watch it again. Lots of very clever and funny bits, plenty of effective sight gags, a screamingly funny Amy Poehler, a quirky, but not too quirky, Catherine Keener, and an over-the-top Steve Coogan all do not compensate for the fact that this film tries to have it both ways. Is it the inspirational teacher movie, the ragtag group of losers who bond to become a cohesive and successful unit, or is it a satire of the inspirational teacher movie? Well, it tries to be both, and thus becomes neither.
As well as indecisive, it also tackled too many themes for its own good. The drama critic bits were perfect, so funny I almost choked. (And a nice touch by someone who has no love of critics, I bet!) But the stereotype breaking moments, the anti-censorship attacks, the tormented sexuality, and the "I was molested as a child" stuff, were neither cleverly satirical nor effectively dramatic. If it was satire, it was way too limp. If drama, it was way too gooey. Just could not get a footing, and therefore was forced to end on a note so phony and stupid that whatever happened before was totally overwhelmed.
Worth a watch. But don't get your hopes too high.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Stupid in a bad way
Added 6/27/2009
The Bottom Line:
Hamlet 2 is one of those movies that you watch expecting to laugh but end up waiting anxiously for the laughs that never come, faking a chuckle here and there but just getting more and more disappointed; by no means should you EVER spend money or time on this terrible piece of filmmaking that boasted a clever title and winning trailer (enough to get me into theatres) but delivers nothing at all in the way of laughs.
1.5/4
2 out of 7 people found this helpful.
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"I'M SIMULTANEOUSLY HORRIFIED AND FASCINATED!"
Added 10/31/2009
Steve Coogan deserves most of the credit for making this familiar story go far beyond my expectations. His hilarious and demented performance had me laughing from beginning to end and the musical finale is absolutely hysterical. This film might not be for everyone and you certainly have to be in the right mood to enjoy it, but for those who like loopy, off the wall films with inspired insanity, this one is a big surprise and a lot of fun with some snappy tunes to boot!
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Rock Me Sexy Jesus!
Added 10/16/2009
HAMLET 2 is corny, stupid, ridiculous and ludicrous, all at the same time ...which helps it succeed on some bizarre, comedic level.
Steven Coogan (Tropic Thunder), the king of losers, stars as Dana Marschz, a failing drama teacher at a high school where only two students regularly attend his classes. His loser status is enhanced throughout the film as his job faces the school district's financial axe, his wife Brie (Catherine Keener, An American Crime) runs off with another loser, and his classroom becomes overrun by gangbanger wannabes who've been run out of their own building. But with the new infusion of students comes an opportunity for Dana. Always wanting to produce his own musical/drama stage play, he comes up with a great idea: Hamlet 2. Yes, THAT Hamlet. "But doesn't everyone die at the end of Hamlet?" someone asks rather perceptively.
Though this be madness, yet there is method in it. I think...
Hamlet 2 is just ...wrong. Wrong on every level imaginable. Religiously, philosophically, and instructionally, this is just so ...wrong! Which makes it just a tad alright. As Dana unleashes his play, great and terrible things come out, including Christian extremists and art critics. When the phenomenal stage song "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" begins playing, it proves just how off-kilter this film really is. Which, again, makes it a touch okay. "I get it now! Jesus is sexy!"
The film lacks coherency in terms of a distinct direction. It seems that the goal of the film is for Dana to hit rock bottom before succeeding with an impossibly absurd stage story sequel to one of the greatest plays of all time.
The funny thing about Hamlet 2 is that the acting is really bad. And it appears that it is MEANT to be bad so that there is bad acting within a story that's about bad acting (and writing). Even so, this hints at the level of comedy that director Andrew Fleming was shooting for; a layer upon layer theme that works and doesn't work.
But, if for no other reason, you need to watch the film to see the "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" number. It is so bad, it's good.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Well worth a try
Added 7/11/2009
I wasn't prepared to like HAMLET 2, but solid acting, witty lines and loopy plot turns had me enjoying the movie thoroughly.
A would-be playwright actor, the unpronounceable Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), has reached rock bottom in his attempt to turn popular movies into stage plays; his take on Eric Brockovich is so lacking he gets run out of town. So Dana leads his ragtag rep company (wife played by Cynthia Keener, buddy by David Arquette) into uncharted territory: Tucson, Arizona. There he stumbles upon a gig as drama teacher at "West Mesa High School," a down-at-the-heels edu-barn whose programs are constantly being cut down to nothing.
**SPOILERS** At first, Dana's largely minority drama students don't see much in this white interloper, but eventually he wins them over -- not by cunning or caring but because in Dana's alcoholism and failure, the students feel sorry for HIM. (And help him, a fun inversion on the usual [and occasionally patronizing] film like STAND AND DELIVER or DEAD POET'S SOCIETY.) Dana's neediness and overall air of incompetence may put viewers in mind of "Corky St. Clair" from the Christopher Guest flick, WAITING FOR GUFFMAN.
So Dana and Company help each other into a sequel of one of the most sequel-proof plays in Western Civilization -- Hamlet. Actually, the resulting "Hamlet 2" doesn't seem to have that much to do with Shakespeare's treasure, but much of it resembles "Jesus Christ Superstar." (By now, you can guess who plays Jesus.)**
This is a cue for some of the most knowing (i.e., most hilariously awful) parodies of modern Broadway song and dance, from early Andrew Lloyd Weber through post-millenial "Rent," full scaffolding and all. Largely written by the production staff and apparently sung by a pick-up crew, these song howlers include titles like "I Love You, Sexy Jesus," "Raped in the Face," and "(You're as) Gay as the Day is Long" ("You like it all sizes, but you love it extra long"). Thank heaven no one was allowed in or out of the auditorium once this once-in-a-lifetime experience was experienced!
Delightful performances in HAMLET 2, first of all the lead, Steve Coogan as Dana Marcz. Great support comes from a number of veterans including David Arquette, Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Shue; my personal favorite is "Corky Feldstein" played with liberal (in both senses of the word) delight by Amy Poehler as the ACLU lawyer who insists that the increasingly blasphemous and obscene play gets played. (No. Matter. What.)
Somewhere along the line, HAMLET 2 the film develops its own kind of lopsided sweetness, which is what redeems this feature-length film as more than just a thirty-minute "Family Guy" parody of Tin Pan Alley. I won't claim it is as good as WAITING FOR GUFFMAN but it has that kind of mock-the-genre touch and sympathetic (though comic) insight. Sadly, some of the language alone got this film an "R" rating; I for one think clued-in teens would have enjoyed this spoof when it originally played movie houses. Bells-and-whistles are adequate but the DVD lacks a running Commentary. Nonetheless, I recommend it.
Production Note: The film was actually shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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