Here at Magick Sandwich, we watch crap so you don't have to.
That's one of the best sight gags in the movie, so if you're not a connoisseur of the chubster pratfall, you should spare yourself the expense of renting it.
My first warning was the description on the Netflix sleeve. I expected it to be positive. After all, this was coming from the company renting me the film. Netflix called it a "laffer." When the best term to describe a comedy isn't even a real word, you know you're in trouble.
You might wonder why I rented this movie at all. I enjoyed The King of Queens. (Don't judge.) Kevin James does good bumbling fat boy physical comedy. His comic timing is pretty good. I know I'm not going to blow soda out of my nose at any of the jokes but I may chuckle a time or two. That's all I ask of this type of movie.
Why? First, because I never thought the original Panther movies were funny. Second, because I believe Steve Martin is a comic genius. I was an original member of the Wild & Crazy Guy Fan Club. I have been a fan of Steve Martin since I was fourteen and saved my baby-sitting money to go see him do stand-up at the 1979 New York State Fair.
He's cat juggling. Can't you tell?
Steve Martin still has the capacity to break my heart. I die a little inside every time he wastes himself on terrible material. The same gags that give me a laugh in another cheesy flick will only cause me pain when performed by Mr. Martin. He is a master of physical comedy and I love him for it. But when that's all there is, it's like watching a prostitute. I can't believe he is enjoying the act.
So until Steve Martin makes a funny movie again, there is Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
But wait! There's more!
Slumdog Millionaire is not a comedy and is thus outside my purview, but its multiple Oscars don't lie. Danny Boyle has turned Mumbai slum life into a popcorn flick: quite an achievement.
But I would recommend Rohinton Mistry's book, A Fine Balance, in its stead. The beauty of his prose in the teeth of grim reality makes Slumdog look one-dimensional in comparison. You may not share my low-brow comedy tolerance, but you can trust my advice on this.
Labels: a fine balance, kathcom, magick sandwich, mini movie review, paul blart, pink panther, rohinton mistry, slumdog millionaire