I just found these reviews and realized that they never got posted. I hope you can find them helpful when they come available for rent.
The Wackness
I know that when entering the theatre to see The Wackness, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot. The idea of Josh Peck, who made his name as “Josh” on the hit Nickelodeon television show Drake and Josh, playing a serious role as a marijuana dealer was far from appealing and or believable. The fact of the matter is Peck was not only formidable, but also quite good.
The acting overall proves to be quite exceptional. The rarely bad, Ben Kingsley provides for comic relief as a quirky shrink who works for pot. Olivia Thirlby plays Kingsley’s stepdaughter and Peck’s love interest in the film who establishes herself as someone who is easy to hate but even easier to sympathize with. Strong starring roles combinded with almost as good supporting roles from Famke Janssen, Mary-Kate Olsen, and Method Man, contribute to the perfect concoction for story in both content and subject matter.
I can only describe the film itself as the Breakfast Club meets Dazed and Confused, mixing the traditional coming of age message with a heavy dose of weed. Overall the script is well written, the dialogue is delivered with precision, and the direction is above average. The film drags just a touch, Kingsley’s role could have been trimmed slightly, and Peck’s role left me wanting more. Overall I liked this film and give it 3 and ½ R’s out of 5.
Hamlet 2
What is one to expect from a film co-written by Andrew Fleming and Pam Brady, who have had their hands in the film Dick (1999) and South Park: Bigger Longer and Uncut (1999)? Well from this reviewers point of view, lots and lots of lowbrow humor. Hamlet 2 has no problem accomplishing the lowbrow but the humor proves a difficult task.
The script for Hamlet 2 appears to be written by a 5th grader who just learned a surplus of four letter words that a dictionary has to offer. The plot is filled with holes and on numerous occasions moves the plot with little to no explanation as to what just happened, or in other cases it is just so unbelievable you lose all hope that there is a plot at all.
The lead roles provide poor acting that seethes with unnecessary potty humor, mixed with a plot that, as stated earlier is unbelievable at best. Bit parts by well-known actors such as David Arquette, Amy Poehler, and Elisabeth Shue, prove futile in an effort to save this movie from being found in the bargain bin at a gas station close to you in the very near future. In the end Hamlet 2 is nothing more than a lame attempt at mixing Dead Poets Society with Napoleon Dynamite.
There is one redeeming quality about the film however, Hamlet 2 just proves to all aspiring writers out there that there is no logical reason that anyone should ever attempt to recreate or provide a sequel to a piece of classic literature or film. Poor acting, a bad script, and little to no comedic value all adds up to this reviewer giving it 1 “R” out of 5.
