REVIEW: Why ‘Hamlet 2′ is the funniest movie of the year
It’s been an uncommonly great summer for comedies.
From the Ferrell/Reilly tag team “Step Brothers” to the sweet stoner action goof “Pineapple Express” to the Hollywood satire “Tropic Thunder” to the M. Night Shyamalan-ding-dong antics of “The Happening.”
But I think top honors should go to “Hamlet 2,” an ingenious little absurdity that hasn’t fared well at the B.O., but might have some legs as a cult classic when it hits DVD.
It’s about a failed-actor-turned-drama-teacher (Steve Coogan) at a Tucson, Ariz. high school. When he finds out the drama program’s about to get axed from the school budget, he makes a last ditch effort to save the program. His idea: write and direct a musical sequel to Shakespeare’s greatest play, but with a few new devices, namely a time machine, Hilary Clinton and a singing, dancing, sexy Jesus H. Christ.
Here are six things worth loving about “Hamlet 2.”
1. Its title.
2. Steve Coogan. Sharp as the writing is, this movie might have fallen apart were it not for Coogan. All of “Hamlet 2″ rests on the shoulders of his deliriously inspired performance. No one could have played this character but him, and it’s about time the British comedian got some exposure in the states.
3. It’s offensive. But in a knowing, tongue-in-cheek way. It’s the movie equivalent of a little bastard child, running around throwing poop at everyone he sees. ‘H2’s’ targets include small-town theatre troupes, ACLU lawyers, the religious right and people who live in Tucson, Ariz.
4. Elisabeth Shue. Here, she plays an alternative version of herself, an actress who got tired of the business and decided to be a nurse instead of a movie star. Her performance doesn’t contain a trace of vanity or self-consciousness, and her scenes are some of the funniest in the movie. As she speaks to Coogan’s drama class and no one knows who she is, Coogan angrily rattles off her repertoire, which leads to the film’s best line: “Dreamer—with the fucking horse!”
5. The play itself has musical numbers called “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” and “Raped in the Face.”
6. It’s a comedy. And I mean like an honest-to-God comedy. No political agenda, no message, no heartwarming conclusion that the characters come to. Just a simple, potent, endlessly effective thing that makes you laugh.
