Pure Slapstick Fun in a Time of Thinkers

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2007)

I am a huge fan of comedies. In recent years (with few exceptions) the comedies I have seen have been highly intellectual. Sure, they're witty and have a complex plot and I love them, but still... I am an avid supporter of slapstick: a genre I felt to have slowly shriveled to death in recent years from those witty comedies (and bad slapstick in general i.e. Jack Black). It seemed like everything was making you think about the joke before you laughed. Sure, I love it... but I wanted good slapstick. And then, I got to go to a preview for Hot Rod starring Andy Samberg of Saturday Night Live. Now, I have faded away from SNL in recent years... but that didn't stop me from seeing this. It was free and in convenient walking distance. Yes, this comedy does not make you think... but very few slapstick ones do. But what it makes you do if you do it right... is just enjoy yourself. Samberg may in fact be the next king of slapstick as long as he doesn't get typecast. He pretty much controls the screen by crashing into everything and spouting lines with nervous perfection. You could actually feel for him throughout the movie... a feeling that may have seemed odd with original choice: Will Ferrell (who is good, but kind of boisterous for this role) I was relieved to see the return of slapstick to it's glory. This is more of a tribute than an insult as they make every move their own with every stitch worth a laugh. I definitely recommend this people who will take it for what it is: pure slapstick enjoyment.