Movies

Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1104733/

One high school drama teacher is about to make a huge number 2 in this wildly irreverent and completely outrageous movie from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine. When his school's theater department is threatened to be cut, failed actor-turned-high-school-drama-teacher Dana Marschz writes a play that he hopes will solve everything: a sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Now, staging one of the most politically incorrect musical-theater extravaganzas ever seen, Dana and his class will put it all on the line for one controversial, conflicted night of hilarity.

Steve Coogan is Dana Marschz, a former actor who freely admits that the only thing that kept him from fame and fortune was his complete lack of talent. Yet his passion for theater burns on. He attempts to share his passion by teaching drama at a high school in Tucson, Arizona. When he learns that the school is cutting the theater department, Marschz decides that his first original opus is the only way to save his job. Hamlet 2 is born from this epiphany -- a story of hope, second chances, forgiveness, a time machine and a sexy Jesus.

There was a lot written about how funny this movie was when it was released. The whole movie, and Steve Coogan separately, were reportedly little-known comedic gems of the year. I thought there were some very funny moments, but the level of humor this movie is billed to contain is misleading. Marschz's life becomes a series of disappointments that lead up to a big, controversial finish. There are a few one-liners along the way that add will make you laugh, but this is not a movie that will make your sides hurt from continuous laughter.

Steve Coogan has a very "Monty Python" demeanor; he has the slapstick, physical-comedy, tragic-hero, Eric Idle approach. If ever anyone could recreate Eric Idle's cameo in National Lampoon's European Vacation, Coogan is the guy. To conceal the true controversial nature of Hamlet 2, very few details of the musical are divulged as the movie moves along. For me, this meant that the story was a little weak, but I can see how the impact of the big finish would have been lost had more been shared over time. But with so little material, Coogan was just ok. There are more laughs from situations in which he has no pants on then from much of his dialogue. I do not know much about him, but I feel that he was wasted in most of this movie. But he truly shined in his non-speaking moments, especially during the musical at the end. But then again, maybe that is where his talent lies...

Anyone remember Catherine Keener? Four years ago she was probably one of the most promising actresses (after earning an Oscar nomination for her role in Capote) and here she is as Mrs. Marschz in a bizarre comedy about a high school drama department. Now you understand my bias when I say that she was a fish out of water here.

As a story about troubled high school students who become inspired by an unlikely, but passionate teacher, Hamlet 2 is cliché and falls apart. Without the actual production of the Hamlet 2 musical within the movie of the same name there is really nothing worth seeing here. But give me a spinoff movie of Amy Poehler's foul-mouthed, ACLU-attorney character and I might even see it in the theater.

Save your time. For a better version of this movie, The Family Guy did an episode where Peter produces his vision for The King and I ("The King is Dead", Season 2, Episode 7). It's funnier and significantly shorter than Hamlet 2.

| Amazon |