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Visitors Review

J_Trex 2012-05-21 08:54:51

Good "Off the Wall" Type of Comedy

I enjoyed Steve Coogan's performance earlier this Summer in "TropicThunder", where he played a supporting role as the hapless moviedirector, and many of his earlier works.In "Hamlet 2", he plays the lead role, as a high school drama teacherin Tucson, AR, where he is trying to teach his under-achieving studentsacting, without much success. The movie begins with a school playrendition of "Erin Brockovich", which was unintentionally hilarious.The drama critic for the school newspaper panned the play, which drivesCoogan nuts. The interaction between Coogan & the drama critic is oneof the high points of the film. The critic looks like he's about 11years old, but Coogan hangs on his every word. After providing somesage advice to Coogan, the critic excuses himself to "go clean thegerbil cage". Then the school principal informs Coogan that funding forhis drama program has been ended, and he'll need to find a new job.Coogan comes up with the idea to save the program by putting on abrilliant new play, written by himself, called "Hamlet 2".There were many scenes that were excellent and hilarious. ElizabethShue had a major role (playing herself), which was very funny. If you've seen Steve Coogan comedies before, such as "24 Hour PartyPeople" or "Tristam Shandy", you are familiar with his brand of humor.If you liked that sort of movie, you'll like this. Even if you didn'tcare for either of those films, you might want to take a chance anyway.It's a clever comedy & well worth checking out.

2012-05-21 01:46:42

I Couldn't Stop Laughing

I laughed out loud throughout this entire movie. Coogan is funny even when he's not really doing anything. The whole thing was just silly, goofy funny. There was a lot here which people could take offense to. I'd recommend this to people who like farce or spoofs, but are not sensitive regarding the topic of religious or social issues.

Jack Gattanella 2012-05-20 11:19:57

only a little more than South Park-lite thanks to Steve Coogan

Hamlet 2 is sophomoric, satirical, stupid, trying to be smart whilebeing stupid, and anchored by another winning go-for-broke comic turnfrom Steve Coogan. It's hard for me to see him doing much wrong, be itthe segment with Alfred Molina in Coffee and Cigarettes, 24 Hour PartyPeople or, most of all, Tristram Shandy. It's the biggest credit of allthat he is even able to make this film directed and co-written byAndrew Fleming as watchable and occasionally clever as it is. He tries,Lord, oh how he tries to rise up this character into something reallymemorable, and it is. Though not too ironically while he gave the moreprominent and funnier performances in Hamlet 2 his supporting turn inthis month's Tropic Thunder was another reminder how brilliantly stupidthat was compared to this.Perhaps it's also a difference in talent- instead of Robert Downey Jrgiving the bravura comic performance of his career we get Amy Pohler ina hysterical and unsatisfying bit as an ACLU attorney and ElisabethShue as, well, Elisabeth Shue- but there's also a factor in the scriptthat separates one as a modern classic and the other as more of a minorwork (if more raunchy and intentionally un-PC). It's about a down onhis luck actor played by Coogan who's married to a drunk wife(Catherine Keener) who scoffs at him any chance she can and afterstriking out in commercial gigs now teaches pro-bono as a drama teacherat a high school. He's about to get thrown off that gig too (unlike MaxFischer in Rushmore he can't seem to get luck putting theatricaladaptations of screen classics like Erin Brockovich) due to budgetcuts, but suddenly gets inspiration: he writes Hamlet 2, a crudemusical about a time machine, a rock 'n' roll Jesus, and face-rape.It's in part a parody of all those goody-too-shoes feel-good movies ofinspiration with the teacher leading the rag-tag group of kids intosomething worth their while (Dead Poets Society is mentioned more thanonce in this regard), and as a lighter and more raw satire on celebrityand the craft of acting. Sadly, however, it's a slightly hit or missaffair; sometimes I'm laughing a whole lot as some of the scenes andset-pieces, other times I'm rolling my eyes or lightly groaning at theobvious moments even as I know they're taken as a goof on other movies.The script was co-written by South Park writer Pam Brady, and it'sworth noting that a lot of the humor is akin to that Parker/Stonecreation (there's even a character slightly akin to a Kenny, a mutegirl who gets knocked about every other scene till towards the end whenshe SPEAKS UP in caps), only it lacks that really stinging wit andalmost arrogance in going to the limits to offend with hilariousness.The closest she and Fleming come to this delirious attention to detailis with the actual musical as the climax, with everything from a Greasesend up ("Rock Me, Sex Me, Jesus" is my favorite) to Elton John isused, and even then there's an inter-cutting scheme to the bigbrew-haha outside with protesters and firefighters and Amy Pohlerscreaming about who knows what.And at the center of it all is Coogan, who delivers on little thingslike singing poetical on a keyboard to Flashdance songs and is funnyjust skating on his roller skates everywhere because he doesn't have acar; and don't get him started if he's got acid or grain alcohol in hissystem. It's a swell showcase for his talents, and maybe shows somepromise with the high school kids, but it's also kind of a slight work.I wouldn't say it's a very good movie, but if you must rock your sexyJesus on, or find Coogan the funniest thing around, then it's a goodpit-stop for the moment. 6.5/10

Tyy Tad 2012-05-19 15:17:33

William Shakespeare would be proud!

Don't ask me why but it seems like Hollywood is looking to remake orgive a sequel to a classic instead of actually coming up with somethingoriginal. My theory is that Hollywood is completely out of ideas, andwould much rather green light a sequel to Rocky or Halloween (bothoriginals are great movies of the seventies but their classic status isin jeopardy with crappy sequels) or remake a popular television showfrom the 70's. I assume it is only a matter of time before we are givenan unnecessary remake of The Godfather or Casablanca starring Madonna.Is Hollywood really so money hungry that they can't leave the classicsalone? I would much rather have them re-release the films in theatersthan remake them. What I wouldn't give to be able to see Psycho (theoriginal - not the 1998 remake) on the big screen and watch thereactions of the audience during the famous shower scene.I shall get down off of my soapbox to start the review of this comedy.Sure it is given the title of Hamlet 2 but anybody with televisionaccess has seen the trailers and knows this isn't an actual sequel tothe William Shakespeare play Hamlet. Which wouldn't make sense anyway,since every character we care about dies at the end of it. InsteadHamlet 2 is the story of Dana Marschz (pronounced "Marszzz"), astruggling high school drama teacher who faces a cancellation of theprogram by the school that need to cut back on expense. How can aschool not have a drama program? Well for the high school it seems likeit is better off without the program, as none of the productions areany good. At the start of the movie there is a Marschz production ofthe film Erin Brockovich. I found myself laughing all giddy at theterrible delivery of one of my favorite films. (I seemed to be the onlyone laughing in the theater at that point, but we won't go into that.)Marschz is known for his theater productions of popular recentHollywood movies that always star the two teacher's pets and is given anegative review by a vertically challenged high school student thatworks for the school paper.Desperate to save his class from being canceled, Dana works on anoriginal idea for a play called "Hamlet 2," in which Hamlet gets in atime machine and brings back Jesus, Einstein and Hilary Clinton andthey try to prevent all the deaths in the original - essentially takingthe tragedy out of the Shakespeare tragedy. There is plenty of sex andfoul language, a little to risqué for a high school production.Especially one musical number is seemed offensive whenever Jesusreturns to this generation and is deemed super sexy with a hot swimmersbody. (The argument made by Dana is that they need to make Jesus coolfor this generation. And the coolest thing is to want to have sex withthe Savior.) Obviously the school objects to the play and eventuallychanges the locks to prevent Dana from having his dream production goon. This is the time Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live fame provides afunny little part as a person who fights for the First Amendment and isnot afraid to provide a couple lines that may be offensive to theJewish audience. ("I married a jew, so what else do I have to lose?") Ithink it would be spoilers to say whether or not the production goeson, but gee the trailer itself does a good job at giving that away. Themovie has very little suspense as we know how the play will turn outhalfway through the film. That's not important, as it is the journey toopening night that provides the intense laughter. Dana Marschz isn't aone-dimensional character, as he is more than just a failed actorturned mediocre teacher. He's also a recovering alcoholic that hasn'ttouched the stuff in seven years. He is also married to Brie, played byCatherine Keener. They have been trying to have kids for a long timebut it seems like Dana is shooting blanks. He goes to a sperm doctorand is surprised to see one of his favorite actresses - Academy Awardnominee Elizabeth Shue as a nurse now. Truth is Shue got tired of thebusiness and wanted to do something more productive, like becoming anurse in Tucson Arizona. She agrees to be a guest speaker to motivateDana's class about her acting career but the class doesn't recognizeher., instead asking her questions about her makeup and a generic "Whatdo you miss about acting?" Her response: She misses the chance to makeout with her co-stars, since it isn't thought highly of to make outwith the patients at a hospital.The movie is very silly, containing a lot of sophomoric humor. Anexample is this one Spanish student who is frequently givenconcussions. However, no matter how silly the movie is, it is somewhatcharming. Sure the production of "Hamlet 2" is done to give the viewersa whole bunch of belly laughs but it does come with a message. Themovie itself has two messages: If you love acting but can't do it well,become a teacher of the craft. The other - any place is better thanTucson.Rating: *** out of ****

2012-05-17 06:12:22

Not your average English Lit by Ray Sipe

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2012-05-16 22:04:06

Not your average English Lit by Ray Sipe

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2012-05-13 21:10:08

Insanely Funny. Also just insane.

This review is from: Hamlet 2 (DVD) After watching Hamlet 2, I now feel 100% less raped in the face. Sexy Jesus is rocking me, and I'm working on my swimmer's bod.I got this movie for $4. How can you go wrong? Even if you just get it for the sing-a-long, it's worth it.

2012-05-13 05:29:24

Hamlet 2

This review is from: Hamlet 2 (DVD) Funny! Funny! Funny! Watched this movie at my sisters a few weeks ago and just had to have it for my movie collection.

Cuzin Joe Bob 2012-05-12 07:51:44

AWFUL - just a waste of time

OK where do I start? This has got to be one of the worst movies I everhave seen my entire lifetime. Sorry but movie shouldn't earned (1)Star.I have no idea how this even left the shelf. I was curious who evenwrote this screenplay - Pam Brady- by looking at this resume, I amdefinitely will not be seeing Dallas and by looking at previous history- I now know how horrible it is. There was nothing funny in this moviebut David Arquette. Steve Coogan, this definitely will damage yourcareer, by this you acted like you had never been in a drama class everin your life. I really don't know where else to start- I walked out ofthis movie, I really don't want to know how it ended "OR" cared. Thiswas a total waste of my time. The Moguls was my worst movie but thisHAMLET 2 sure is up on my TOP of worst all time horrible movies.Definitely RAZZIES are coming your way. Catherine Keener - whathappened with you on this? OMG you are a really good actress. Horribleacting in this movie all around. This movie will definitely will NOTmake any money whatsoever. Total waste of time. No wonder there is notrailers at all on this movie or any kind of advertisement whatsoever.

2012-05-11 23:12:34

Hamlet 2 Movie Review from The Massie Twins

Hamlet 2 is bound to field comparisons to Napoleon Dynamite or the plenty of other films that have been made due to Napoleon's surprising success. It is comprised of similarly chaotic characters in unusual situations brought to a comedic extreme. Dysfunction and eccentricity are the fuel for Hamlet 2, but it takes the extra step other comparable comedies have reeled back from - the R-rating. Vulgar at times and offensive at others, it keeps up a steady flow of laughs with easy exploitations such as race and religion. And it is indeed funny.Hamlet 2 is set in the place where dreams go to die: Tucson, Arizona. Failed actor Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) has turned to teaching drama class as a means of survival, and must contend with being an utter failure at that as well. His former-drug-dealer wife (Catherine Keener) offers little stability to his turbulent life, in which Dana must deal with the possibility of being infertile, a harsh theater critic, overenthusiastic students, and a Principal who doesn't appreciate the fine arts.When the school electives are cut down, drama suddenly becomes the only choice, filling Dana's classroom with unruly and indocile students. As he somehow manages to draw talent out of the more irreverent students, a fiscal crisis hurls the arts programs onto the chopping block, and Drama class is shut down. But in a last attempt to nurture his own artistic struggles and the hidden talents of his ramshackle acting troupe, Dana writes and choreographs a highly controversial play. The sequel to Hamlet, Hamlet 2 focuses on undoing the tragedies that led to the principle players' deaths - with the help of a time machine, Jesus, and impulsive song and dance.Biting sarcasm and comical vulgarities hide the fact that few of the jokes are intelligent. Blatant racism and religious spoofs are easy methods of hilarity, and they ceaselessly level the audience with laughter and unease. There are serious bits of drama occasionally mixed in, but the characters are so unordinary that normal reactions can't possibly be anticipated. The power of booze, foul language, cliché media extravaganzas, bold offenses and oodles of enthusiasm make up for any lack of talent and the questionable editing of the film. Praise must be given to Steve Coogan who magnificently supports the entire film and keeps up viewer interest almost single-handedly.Narration and title cards are used (Act 4: Hope is a Demon Bitch), Elisabeth Shue shows up to play herself, and Amy Poehler unleashes the most cynical lines as her typical character ("I'm married to a Jew - I've got nothing to lose"). Some of the most rewarding moments are the unbelievably well-lighted and choreographed song and dance sequences during the play itself, and the many ramifications of desperately straying from the beaten path of decency. Aside from the extra special meaning to Arizona residents (Tucson is the butt of many a joke), Hamlet 2 is highly entertaining nonsense - perhaps as amusing as it is repellent to the easily offended.- Mike Massie

2012-05-07 18:53:18

To Be or Not To Be...but always uneven

How does one create a sequel to a story in which all of the main characters die at the end? Such is the question posed in Hamlet 2, to which the answer must invariably be...by crafting a time machine, picking up Jesus and traveling to various times in history. Obviously, there's no other conceivable answer.Hamlet 2 is about a high school drama teacher, trying to save his department from going the way of art programs when budget cuts rise. Or, is Hamlet 2 a parody of the Mr. Holland's Opus/Dead Poets Society/Dangerous Minds-type of movie in which a professor takes a ragtag group and presses on them a love of whatever he/she is teaching? Or, is Hamlet 2 a deconstruction of a tragedy, begging the question that if the heroes don't die at the end, what's the point, as one person asks in the movie? Or, is it a satire on the way irreverent material is taken in our society, by presenting the two opposite extremes embodied by the principal who threatens bodily harm against the drama instructor and the ACLU lawyer who doesn't care what the merit of the production is? And that's the rub of this movie. There's a lot of ideas floating around in Hamlet 2, but it often feels as if screenwriter Pam Brady (who shares writing credit on the South Park movie) continued to throw ideas on the wall, watching to see which of them stuck. It's uneven in both the humor quotient and in the meaning quotient. It poses too many questions to be just slapstick/no-brainer comedy, but it doesn't accurately dig into the questions to really merit it as satire (South Park, this ain't). In the end, it's a silly movie with sometimes hilarious moments, but more often than not, it fails to elicit much reaction. When the best moments are the actual production of Hamlet 2, which lasts all of twenty minutes, you know you're in for a bumpy ride.

nelsonbig 2012-05-06 22:16:14

Walk In Late...Very Late

The theatres should charge only a quarter of the price for this movie.Only the last half hour was entertaining.It fails at engaging the audience with any of the characters. Onemoment, students are "thugs", the next scene they're rehearsing lines.No buildup.The comedic timing is off as well. A gag is drawn on after it shouldhave been over a few lines back. Steve Coogan's character is unbearablydry and, again, is not engaging whatsoever.Catherine Keener is warm as she is in other films. However, her rolealong with David Arquette's are absolutely useless in this film.On a lighter note, the play (when they finally get to it) is veryentertaining. Rock Me Sexy Jesus is ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS and catchy.The other songs are very fun too. It was well thought out and played.Sad to say, it wasn't enough.It seems to me that the writers had this great idea for a whimsicalplay. However, the play itself would never fly with the productioncompany. So they decided to write this horrendous storyline and packagethis great play with it. Unfortunately, the drabness of said packagingleaves one frustrated with the lack of Hamlet 2 in Hamlet 2.

lunarage28 2012-05-06 17:40:14

Great Film =0)

I happened to be in a conference with a few other teachers this weekendin Palm Desert. I had waited with great anticipation the release ofthis film. I had to drive fairly far to get to a local theater that hadthe movie available, but I wasn't planning on waiting until my returnto L.A. My sister and a few other teachers from the conferenceaccompanied me over to watch the flick together. All we could say wasthat Hamlet 2 was a fantastic film from beginning to end. As a teacher,I was glad to see that this movie presented the reality of whattypically happens to the Arts (VAPA) within a school. The Art classes,drama included, are usually the ones on the "chopping board" whenevereducation boards have to address budget cuts. I, too, enjoyed seeing adifferent community other than the usual low social economic communityhaving to deal with the same problems. I especially enjoyed seeing someof the stereotypes getting contradicted throughout the film, especiallythe one about the "macho" father who had a PhD in Literature.Hilarious. =0) I hope you enjoy it, too.

2012-05-05 21:04:30

Wildly uneven and wildly funny...with a great performance from Steve Coogan

HAMLET 2 is a star-making vehicle for Steve Coogan. It's a wildly uneven but often wildly hilarious film that rests almost entirely on this terrific British comedian's shoulders. It's the story of a superbly incompetent high school drama teacher /director, living in Tucson. He's a failed actor (shown to us in wonderfully pitch-perfect commercials that he was once in, including for a herpes medicine). He's got a wife that he loves (Catherine Keener) but is too clueless to see that she hates him. And his drama department consists of one girl and one boy, for whom he writes stage adaptations of popular movies like ERIN BROKOVICH. He's so insecure in his skills that when the "critic" for the school newspaper trashes his shows, he's sent into fits of inchoate rage and self-loathing.One day, his class grows in size because all the shop-class students are displaced by a renovation and sent to take drama. He's now got a couple dozen Hispanic students who know nothing about theatre and he clearly fears them because he assumes they are all gang-bangers. But Coogan, to his credit, reigns in his terror and is determined to teach these kids something about theatre.It's his great chance, and naturally, he seizes up creatively...unable to decide what to write. Eventually, he turns to HAMLET for inspiration, and wonders to himself, "What if Hamlet DIDN'T die, but was able to use a time machine to go back and stop the tragic events that unfold in Shakespeare's classic play?"Believe it or not, this is the most rational part of the musical extravaganza Coogan cooks up. He finds himself freer and freer to express his personal frustrations (particularly at a long absent father) through his work...and his creation of HAMLET 2 begins to incorporate religion (most notably in the hilarious show-stopper "Rock Me, Sexy Jesus") and psychology into this twisted, increasingly experimental piece. The school board gets word and shuts down production.I think I'll stop there with the plot. While plenty of things HAPPEN in the movie, it's the tone and spirit with which they occur that makes the movie successful. It's a sloppy piece in many ways...shifting madly between silly slapstick (the student who keeps getting smacked in the head by objects Coogan carelessly tosses around) and family tragicomedy (Coogan's struggling relationship with Keener...who is, as always, tart and intelligent, but this time with a sheen of cruelty...it may be her least sympathetic performance ever. Still good...she's just SO unlikeable!). There are moments of sublime randomness (such as the moment Coogan meets actress Elizabeth Shue...played by Elizabeth Shue. Again, I won't say more...but it's fun!). There are moments of cliché (many of the jabs at theatre are straight out of WAITING FOR GUFFMAN)...but there are just as many moments when the cliché is broken.My favorite example is when Coogan's new "favorite" student announces he can no longer appear in HAMLET 2. He assumes this is because this young T-shirt wearing kid is being bullied by an ignorant, education-hating father. Turns out, dad is a brilliant scholar, lives in a huge home and objects to HAMLET 2 not because of its take on religion and sex...but because it is so badly written.When the show is finally staged, it is typically over-the-top. I've never seen a high school with the wherewithal to stage a Broadway scale production...but somehow, HAMLET 2 makes it mostly work. The show is so gloriously inventive that the audience can't help but marvel. The movie does a great job of showing that theatre can have the power to stop you in your tracks and make you go "whoa...that's cool." It also shows that people sometimes assume that a show will take one approach to religion when it really is something else. (The reaction to the aforementioned "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" is the perfect example.)But really, the film works because Coogan is so maniacally over the top. He reminds me of a strange combination of Gene Wilder and Jim Carrey...but unique as well. He brings a sweet desperation to his portrayal. This is a man who has done nothing of note, and doesn't expect to...but for one VERY brief moment, he might make a difference to the lives of others. One COULD say he steals the show...but he IS the show. Keener is good, Shue is funny, David Arquette is not annoying and Amy Poehler's brief role is terribly written...but none of it really matters because of Coogan's honest portrayal of a lost, loony drama teacher.The movie is rated R due to some pretty strong language...but beyond that, I think most of the best jokes will only be really appreciated by an adult crowd. Kids will laugh at the broader stuff...but it's the subtle revelations that make the film special.(On a personal note: the movie is set in Tucson, but was filmed entirely in my town of Albuquerque, NM. I'm glad they placed it in Tucson though, because they take a lot of nasty digs at that town! While Albuquerque was spared the attack...it's a shame that Hollywood insists on mocking mid-sized cities as "Hicksville.")

MiamiHEATfan777 2012-05-04 17:19:18

Not For The Feint Of Heart

In a year punctuated with very funny movies, "Hamlet 2" stands out asthe most peculiar and comedically risky. Its style of humor is analmost indescribable mixture of social satire, broad slapstick, and dryirony. I've seen it twice, seven months apart, and while I laughedthrough most of it both times, I can also see how some viewers willcome away scratching their heads and wondering what's supposed to be sofunny.The star is Steve Coogan, a beloved British comedian who still isn'tbeing hailed as a genius in the United States. (Meanwhile, Dane Cookgets one movie deal after another.) He plays Dana Marschz, a mostlyuntalented actor who endured a number of humiliating show-biz gigsbefore giving up and moving to Tucson, Ariz. ("Where dreams go todie"). Now he is the drama teacher at West Mesa High School,specializing in stage adaptations of popular movies like "ErinBrockovich," which he writes himself and which invariably must betwo-person shows because he only has two students in his class. One, agirl named Epiphany (Phoebe Strole), is a typical drama queen; theother, Rand (Skylar Astin), idolizes, and is probably in love with, Mr.Marschz.After budget cutbacks result in the cancellation of most otherelectives, Dana's class is suddenly full of students, though most ofthem have little interest in being there. Determined to be an inspiringeducator like the ones he's seen in "Dead Poet's Society" and "Mr.Holland's Opus," Dana tries to reach out to these kids, who are allLatino and, Dana assumes, from the wrong side of town. Dana is a lotlike Michael Scott from "The Office": unaware of his own imbecility andeager to show everyone how gifted he is, despite not having any gifts.Soon the budget cutbacks, mixed with a string of scorching reviews fromthe school paper's theater critic, threaten to shut down the dramaprogram, too. Dana has one last chance to stage a show that will raisemoney and awareness. It has to be a dozy. It has to be memorable. Hesettles on an original script he's been writing, a little thing called"Hamlet 2." That title is arbitrary, perhaps chosen to give the movie ahook. ("'Hamlet 2'?! Now that sounds like a crazy comedy I shoulddefinitely go see!") What Dana Marschz writes only begins with Hamlet(who escapes death via a time machine) and becomes more accurately amusical investigation into Dana's own childhood traumas and hisunresolved issues with his father. We see snippets of it in rehearsalsand a huge chunk of it at the end of the film, when the play is stagedbefore a shocked audience. Hamlet isn't the only literary figure ofnote to be included, either -- Jesus is here, too, a hip Jesus whomoonwalks on water and scores big with the modern generation.Before we get there, though, there is controversy as the communitylearns about the edgy elements of Dana's show. The ACLU steps in (kudosto Amy Poehler for a brief but memorable turn as the group's humorlessrepresentative), and Dana experiences massive self-doubt. He is nothelped by his hilariously unsupportive wife, Brie, played with all thescathing sarcasm and apathy that the great Catherine Keener can muster(which is considerable, as you know if you've seen Catherine Keener inalmost anything). Ultimately, the kids realize the lesson Dana hastaught them: "It doesn't matter how much talent we lack, as long as wehave enthusiasm." There are elements of several different kinds ofmovies (the Inspiring Teacher Drama, the Teen Comedy, the Let's Put Ona Show! Musical, etc.), all of them relentlessly and absurdly satirizedin a screenplay by Pam Brady, a "South Park" collaborator who alsoco-wrote the "South Park" movie and "Team America: World Police." Herwork here is co-credited with the film's director, Andrew Fleming, whomade 1999's under-seen political comedy "Dick" and last year'sbetter-than-you'd-think "Nancy Drew." Dana Marschz (that's pronouncedwith three syllables, "Mar-zh-ce") is an oblivious, "Waiting forGuffman" type, the sort of character who never does realize what aloser he is. I'd be hard-pressed to identify any unifying theme to thefilm's whimsy, any connective tissue between the various things itmakes fun of. Why do Dana and Brie have a dull boarder (David Arquette)living with them? Why does Elisabeth Shue appear as herself, tired ofHollywood and now working in Tucson as a nurse at a fertility clinic?Because it's odd and bemusing, that's why.When "Hamlet 2" is finally performed, the audience is initiallyoutraged by the portrayal of Jesus (played by Dana, looking strangelylike "Weird Al" Yankovic), as well as the show's other highly offensivesexual material. Then they come to see that the show means nodisrespect, that it's a commentary on stuff, and the scandalous natureof it is necessary to make its point. They say, "Oh, I get it!" But Ithink the joke is that they're wrong -- there ISN'T any deeper, morehonorable message in it. There's nothing to get. Though Dana earnestlybelieves he's making a valid point, I think his show -- that is to say,the movie -- is being sacrilegious and dirty solely for laughs, a wayof poking fun at how high-minded Hollywood satirists like to dosomething taboo while claiming to have noble purposes for it. (See: therecent controversy surrounding "Tropic Thunder" and the word "retard.")Many humorists are edgy just for the sake of being edgy, and "Hamlet 2"makes fun of them by doing the same thing, only with self-awareness.

thegregk 2012-05-04 04:53:28

Delightful, understated, FUNNY comedy

Ah, how refreshing to find a comedy that isn't just gross-out gags,sentimental chick flick trash, or predictable Hollywood tripe... whileHamlet 2 isn't brilliant, and it isn't the funniest thing I've seenever, it certainly carries its own, and this is largely in part due toSteve Coogan's performance.Coogan is amazing as the fruity drama teacher who's life is fallingapart. His shows are getting panned by a snarky underclassman, hismarriage is falling apart, and he is totally uninspired. Through aseries of events, he has an all-out crisis, but in a clever switch onthe teacher inspires the students genre (Stand and Deliver, HigherEducation), the students rally in their own way to help him create hismasterpiece - Hamlet 2.Hamlet 2 is ferociously politically incorrect, and this leads to theprincipal and some members of the community to try to close down theshow, the ACLU (Amy Poehler!) gets involved, and the final performanceof the show is a little bit mind blowing... ah, Sexy Jesus.Yes, this is stuff we've all seen before, but Coogan's performance andhis supporting cast, along with solid writing make this a Hollywoodcomedy that is actually funny.Since it doesn't have any big stars, and it is a bit atypical, Hamlet 2will probably fall by the wayside, but don't miss it if you've got thechance - there is hope for comedy yet!

Tom Gnome 2012-04-29 06:50:18

Hilariously Outgoing.. Like a South Park Movie in real life

This movie was just so interesting to watch, the main character justbrings so much life into the movie and turns it into a funny,interesting and non gay journey.To put this movie in a nutshell i would have to say that it is justlike a South Park Movie brought to life because it containsridiculously insane comedy and randomness of beyond belief. Of courseit has people who are stupid in the head and people who need angermanagement.I would not look at this movie as being a failure, i would look at itas an interesting series of events with hilariously non logical dramaand humor combined together.Cheers Tom

Jackpollins 2012-04-28 22:43:34

Beating around the bushes

Hamlet 2 is a comedy about Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan), a failed actorturned drama teacher. When his class is lacking in grades, and hisclass is about to be shut down, he makes the greatest, and mostoffensive play of all time. It is Hamlet 2, in which Jesus builds atime machine to bring back everyone from Hamlet back to life. The movieis extremely offensive, which didn't even matter so much as that thefilm doesn't have the huge amount of laughs it should of had. Don't getme wrong, it's pretty funny. Catherine Keener plays Dana's wife, Brie.David Arquette plays Brie's crazy friend, Gary, and Elisabeth Shueplays Elisabeth Shue. The supporting cast gets a lot of laughs, but themovie itself revolves around a lot of flat jokes. The really, really,really huge laughs come from the play at the end where they play thesong, Rock Me Sexy Jesus. The play is the foundation of laughs for thismovie. It makes us consider what plays we're really watching. Thatsaid, racism jokes and people getting hurt jokes go a little too far.This movie started to push the boundaries of what was funny or not. I'mnot saying this is a terrible movie, just a movie that has nowhereclose to the amount of laughs it should have.

2012-04-27 21:01:50

Flawed but fantastic

Steve Coogan's character is an all too familiar one to anybody who's witnessed the downside of pursuing an acting career. Erratic, needy, high-strung, emotive to the point of being a caricature, his performance captures the personality of many wannabe performers. His exile to Tuscon and the meager life he lives there, professionally and emotionally, lays bare perfectly how desolate his life is.The real strength of this move is the performance of the actors, ranging from his best student's parents, whose shared derisive attitude towards Coogan's character is hilarious, the critic for the school newspaper, who shares their contempt, and Catherine Keener, Coogan's wife who's regret for marrying him is painfully apparent.The direction is somewhat ham-handed, particularly in the transition to the climactic scene, but once that moment hits, there's a whole new layer of humor, especially regarding the local townspeople's outrage at the content of Coogan's musical, which are totally inappropriate for local social mores.All in all, this is a movie that has a good heart at its center, with the kind of satire that will keep you laughing weeks after you've seen it.

JazzZ 2012-04-26 23:15:09

Quality lacking

I have to admit the movie was somewhat entertaining, but the quality was definitely lacking. I was surprised to see Oscar Winning actress Elizabeth Shue in this film ~ she obviously has a big heart or owed a favor…kind of like a bird of paradise in a field of dandelions. You will find some of the dialog ridiculous and purposely illogical for shock effect. However, if you're in the mood for something weird and offbeat you may like this movie...although even though I like offbeat movies, such as Wristcutters, I found this movie a disappointment. If you are religious (I am not) you may not like the very sacrilegious play they put on. If you take a date, I suggest you both take a few shots of Patron before you go to ensure a good time ;)