movie review: macgruber

MacGruber is a dumb, goofy, occasionally funny movie, and that’s strictly its intent.  I knew vaguely that the movie was based on a SNL sketch, but seeing how I haven’t watched that show since, well, Molly Shannon was doing her Mary Katherine Gallagher bit, I’m a little behind the times.  While this movie hasn’t reignited any desire to watch that show again, I was pleasantly surprised at how light, airy, and funny this movie was.

I’m not going to recap the plot since it’s a throwaway story at best.  But, MacGruber’s, “I will suck your dick.  I will suck your fucking dick,” monologue was laugh-out-loud funny, not to mention his willingness to use office supplies as lube.  The scenes in which he uses a celery to distract armed guards and when he simulates sex with the the ghost of his dead wife are also surprisingly hilarious.  For the most part, I was watching the setup just so that I could watch the payoff scenes, and they usually didn’t disappoint.

But just to be a stickler:  Val Kilmer, the now bloated human specimen who looks like he ate two of his old self, completely dials in his performance as the main foil, Dieter von Cunth.  Frankly, he looks bored, as if he were checking his mailbox everyday to see if the paycheck is in.  Kristen Wiig was so terrific in Knocked Up, she made Katherine Heigl look like a casting couch phony.  But here, she acts with such a muted straight face, it feels like she was threatened to not act (perhaps in fear of upstaging Will Forte).  Forte doesn’t have the unhinged comedic madness of Will Ferrell, but his performance was fun.

I have a feeling that this film will kind of be like Old School – perhaps not appreciated and under-watched at the time of release, but it’ll gain some loyal fans who will randomly scream out, “Tell me what you want me to fuuuuccckkk.”