"MR. BEAN’S HOLIDAY"
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MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Rowan Atkinson as MR. BEAN Emma de Caunes as SABINE Willem Dafoe as CARSON CLAY Max Baldry as STEPAN Rated G Studio: Universal Directed by: Steven Bendelack |
I have been a fan of Rowan Atkinson for years, long before Bean made it to the big screen ten years ago. And after watching it again on DVD and hearing what the filmmakers had to say about "Mr. Bean’s Holiday," I do realize that in this long-awaited sequel, we get a very pure Mr. Bean story. This incarnation is much closer to the feel of the old BBC television series, relying more on Bean’s movement and physical comedy than supporting characters for the story.
This time around, Bean has won a trip to the Cannes Film Festival in the South of France. He charges away, without knowing a lick of French, and heads off on holiday. However, along the way, he loses his money and accidentally strands a young French boy at a train station. Together, Bean and the boy try to get to Cannes for Bean to have his vacation and the boy to be reunited with his father.
While "Mr. Bean’s Holiday" is rated G, it’s not a kid’s movie by definition. Kids will enjoy it, at the very least for the slapstick and physical comedy. It’s safe for all ages, but it’s for a higher level of an audience. "Teletubbies" this is not.
The DVD does come short on special features. However, what it lacks in number, it makes up for in quality. Namely, the feature I enjoyed the most was the deleted scenes. Normally the deleted scenes on a DVD are humdrum and lame, painfully obvious as to why they were deleted in the first place. However, like last year’s Borat, the deleted scenes offer more of the humor that makes the movie work.
Additional special features include featurettes on putting Bean in France, working with the Cannes Film Festival and the general character of Mr. Bean.
Ultimately, "Mr. Bean’s Holiday" is made for the Bean/Atkinson fan. If you come to this not liking him, you might as well stay away. But for myself, I just hope they don’t wait another ten years to make another movie.
"HOT ROD"
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MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING: Andy Samberg as ROD KIMBLE Isla Fisher as DENISE Jorma Taccone as KEVIN POWELL Bill Hader as DAVE Danny McBride as RICO Sissy Spacek as MARIE POWELL Ian McShane as FRANK POWELL Rated PG-13 Studio: Paramount Directed by: Akiva Schaffer |
Billed as “From the co-creators of the hilarious, Emmy winning SNL digital short D**K IN A BOX,” it’s not a surprise that this film is loaded with sophomoric humor. But for people like me who are fans of sophomoric humor, it’s a hoot.
"Hot Rod" tells the story of possibly the dumbest stuntman in the history of the world. It’s a heartwarming story because he never makes a jump, yet that doesn’t stop him from trying. It’s a mindless romp into endless stupidity, and it made me laugh.
Calling "Hot Rod" a stupid movie is not a dig at the film. It’s the ultimate praise because this is clearly what the filmmakers were going for. The low-brow slapstick humor and moronic gags are what make "Hot Rod" out to be one of the funniest films of the summer. Imagine a bunch of retarded high school kids got together to make their low-budget version of "Talladega Nights"... and ended up making a funnier film by far. This is the experience of "Hot Rod."
While it contains some inappropriate sex and drug jokes, "Hot Rod" can even be fun with kids. Consider it to be a modern-day version of The Three Stooges, which isn’t exactly wholesome but has some hilarious slapstick. Of course, after watching it with my kids, I found myself yelling “No more stunts, guys!” out the back door several times that afternoon.
The DVD comes with a fine assortment of special features. It’s not loaded as you might expect with some comedies, but it has its moments. Leading off is a commentary by director Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg and Jorma Taccone. There’s also a relatively unfocused behind-the-scenes feature that showcases more how Samberg likes to see crew members without their shirts and co-star Taccone like to run around pantless.
Finally, there’s an allotment of deleted and extended scenes as well as a Rod Kimble stuntman reel, which includes an email address at the end for bookings. (Sadly, if you send an email to k_powell@rodkimblestuntmanforever.com, it comes back undeliverable.)
