Following 9/11 there has been some in the industry who were woken up from their liberal stupor. These 9/11 conservatives may still believe in the false promises of a welfare state but at least they understand the evil that confronts us. They also see the wonder that is America, and that it is a beautiful place that deserves protection rather than derision. Jon Voight, Dennis Hopper, James Woods, Ron Silver among others have changed their politics as of late and have joined the ranks of conservative/libertarian/Republican Hollywood names like Bruce Willis, Adam Sandler, Jessica Simpson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mel Gibson and others. The growing conservative movement in Hollywood has slowly been gaining ground. Now there's the first wide release film to promote this movement.

David Zucker (Airplane!, The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad) isn't known for making Shakespeare, he's known for creating simple comedies littered with cheap laughs. This film is just that, a collection of cheap laughs. The jokes, however, are pointed at the left. Michael Malone (Kevin Farley) a caricature of Michael Moore seeks to abolish July 4th and is then visited by the ghosts of Patton, George Washington and the Angel of Death who turn him around and make him into an American loving guy. The premise is good, the delivery is uneven.

Now, I'm a conservative but I'm also a film geek. I went into this wanting to like it because, to be honest, I enjoy mocking liberals - they're wrong and should be ridiculed. I also knew that it was likely this was going to be devoid of humor. What I got was something lukewarm. For conservatives, there is plenty of red meat. The movie goes after many liberal institutions with various degrees of success, the joke on the ACLU is particularly humorous. There are also moments of poignant commentary regarding the return McCarthy Era blacklist (tying it to how political conservatives are treated), and the fact that "important" directors make movies crapping on Christians and Americans but intentionally avoid criticizing Muslims out of naked fear of being killed for their efforts.

For film geeks, there's less to love. The script is not well structured despite being based on Dickens' classic story. There is a lack of focus in a number of areas and many of the scenes begin with a strong set up but fail to develop into a cohesive piece. Often the scenes toss out some humorous gags and then stumble to a close. The disjointed, bumpy structure makes this a difficult movie to get into. While there are some moments of genuine humor to be found it's an unfortunately rough ride getting to them. Unlike The Naked Gun films or Airplane!, the jokes aren't a mile a minute. In many respects, this is like watching those movies with many of the jokes removed. This leads to scenes that are left wanting for gags. There is space for the gags, but the scenes are left empty.

The casting of Kevin Farley as Malone is inspired and he shows comedic talent. He does a solid job of carrying the broken narrative and holds his own next to a number of very experienced, and well-known actors. Much of the cast does well in their roles including Kelsey Grammar as George Patton and Jon Voight Washington. The actors do their best with the material they're given which is to their credit.

Overall, this is not a great film. It will please, but not inspire, conservatives desperate for customized entertainment. It will not do much for the unconverted. Liberals should just avoid it altogether. All it will do is frustrate you just like when conservatives urge you to support your beliefs with reason and not your precious feelings.


Cautions: This is farce so it's not for small children. Zucker avoids many of the sexual jokes that populates many of the other films he's been a part of, but keeps the cleavage gags. In addition, the language is rather tame but there is some swearing.




Related Reviews:
Political movies
Michael Moore Hates America (2004)
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)

Labels: David Zucker, film, James Woods, Jon Voight, Kelsey Grammar, Kevin Farley, movie review, politics