Well, it’s another slim movie viewing week. I have a hunch this next week will offer more than a few opportunities to take in a good flick or two. But as for this week, I wasn’t so lucky. Not only is there a single, measly movie but it is a stinky one, too! Doh! Let’s get cracking and do this review because honestly, I don’t have all that much to say about it besides boo hiss. Despite this, I still thank you for reading, as always. ~ Chris K.
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Comedy (2019)
Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Hamm, Keanu Reeves
I get a kick out of the Funny or Die mini-pseudo show “Between Two Ferns” starring Zach Galifianakis as an abominable talk show host that knows only one way to treat his celebrity guests — poorly. It is a schtick but a funny schtick, and one that usually leaves me in stitches every time I happen to stumble over the videos of Zach in action. Something possessed me to think that surely 80+ minutes of that schtick would be funny still…right? WRONG. This is a one-trick pony that you are so ready to put out to pasture after about three or four of these celebrity encounters.
Supposedly this film does have a plot, though I misjudged it from the start and thought it was going to be more of a mockumentary, but I should know that unless Christopher Guest or Rob Reiner is at the director helm, it will likely be a mockumentary that is misery. This, however, is more like a junior college video production class project gone wrong and yet, Zach and crew managed to get one big star after another to take part in this mess. You will run into Benedict Cumberbatch, Jon Hamm, John Legend, Brie Larson, Keanu Reeves, Paul Rudd, Peter Dinklage, David Letterman, Gal Gadot… the list goes on and on of worthy actors who show up to do their bit with Zach. The only problem is that it just doesn’t seem as funny when it is assembled end to end. And the paper thin plot that evil Netflix representative Will Ferrell sets in motion, as Zach and crew must find their celebrities themselves and create their own magic, doesn’t do much to help move things along either.
At the very, very, VERY end of this mess, they run the outtakes from those scenes with the big stars, and they had me laughing uncontrollably at times —- proof that this show works at its original short format, and maybe they should share those outtakes, too, with fans because they were a hoot. Especially Paul Rudd.
For now, I’d say pick something on Netflix and catch the shorter and far funnier episodes of “Between the Ferns.” As a movie concept, it’s a real clunker.
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