A quick glance at the ads for MacGruber arouses almost instant suspicion and confusion. Another SNL feature-length film based off a less-than-hilarious skit, itself based off a decades old TV. show? Surely after Night at the Roxbury, The Ladies Man, and Superstar, we would have learned our lesson?

The early word on this one though has been predominately positive and some early reviews have called it a return to form for SNL the likes of Wayne’s World, or dare I say, The Blues Brothers. As is usual the style with internet hype, MacGruber fans have quickly linked its humor to last year’s stealth hit, The Hangover. So, what’s the word? Is it the best comedy of recent memory? Does it return SNL to the top of the comedy hill?

Not really.

I’ve got to say I’m a bit baffled at all the positive buzz. MacGruber certainly isn’t without its laughs, and its intention to pick apart lunkheaded 80′s macho man movies isn’t a bad one. With Will Forte as the mulleted action savant who returns from a self-imposed exile (everyone, including himself, thought he was dead) to thwart his nemesis, Dieter Von Kunth (a bloated, burly Val Kilmer) MacGruber pulls together an amiable, high-spirited cast and is fearless in the quest for a good belly laugh. If only it were a little more canny in its method and more sure in its aim. When the soundtrack, cobbled together from a very specific mix of 80′s ballads (Mr. Mister shows up), is the most on-point aspect of the satire, you might need to spend a little more time in the writing room.

When the villainous Kunth (every time a character says the name we are expected to laugh) gets his hands on a warhead, the government puts MacGruber back into the game and gives him license to put together his own team. This sequence, done in the style of the best meat headed action epics, is legitimately hilarious, with the diminutive Forte rounding up the largest group of roided out hulksters this side of The Expendables. It also has a great comedic pay-off that takes the air out of genre clichés and sets up the plot mechanism that pairs MacGruber with Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Philippe) and Vicki St. Elmo (Kristen Wiig). Elmo and Piper are on hand to help MacGruber retrieve the warhead and deliver some payback to Kunth, who blew up MacGruber’s wife on their wedding day.

Good thing for Forte and the movie that Philippe and Wiig show up early for the ride, because without them MacGruber would be a far less spritely and entertaining affair. Philippe, who doesn’t usually go out for stuff like this, is probably having the most fun and generates some honest laughs that are free of the straining embarrassment that comes with much of Forte’s shtick. There is a scene involving a piece of celery and Philippe that is among the most absurd things I’ve ever seen. It won’t be soon forgotten, and if this movie is a hit, expect it to be one of the main things anyone remembers from it.

Wiig is even better than Philippe and might be doing the most ‘acting’ in the film. She’s had plenty of experience on SNL, but here she hones in on the awkwardness of the character without suggesting any internal awkwardness of her own. This works well when MacGruber forces into a variety of idiotic disguises that require her to behave like an imbecile in front of throngs of confused onlookers. She’s got a down-to-earth aura that allows us to laugh with her while we are laughing at her. MacGruber could have used more opportunities for Wiig to strut her stuff. Kilmer, as the villain, is hamming it up, but he looks uncomfortable, and I’m starting to think those quickie DVD films he’s been churning out are starting to take their toll. It isn’t the extra weight as much as it a kind of resignation in the eyes that makes seeing the once great Val onscreen a kind of melancholy experience.

The script is just as absurd and one-dimensional as a really low-rent action throwback would be, and unfortunately it never throws enough variation or invention into the mix. Mostly, when faced with the conundrum of generating character interest, the writers resort to copious, irrelevant flinging of the F bomb, or belabored sexual jokes that sometimes repeat every four or five moments. Late in the game, there’s an inspired send-up of soft-focus, Cinemax sex scenes that immediately cuts to Forte and Wiig going at it like rabbits in a most unflattering way. Funny, for a few moments. To see MacGruber grunting and bucking like Mr. Ed on ecstasy isn’t the sort of sight that should be extended for several minutes.

Clunky enough on its own, that scene still has a few genuine laughs built into it. But then, literally in the next sequence, we are treated to a complete repeat of it, with another character, the cinemax montage stuff, and more bucking and spitting. It’s like the writers put the script on loop and went to lunch break. This kind of thing happens so often, that I’d be willing to bet that there might be no more than five or six original (meaning they haven’t been repeated before in this movie) jokes in the whole thing. Strangely, there’s very little of the the MacGuyver parody that the original skit based itself on in the film. This might be a blessing for the most part, but sometimes the creators don’t seem sure what they are lampooning–is it Rambo, or Magnum P.I. or the aforementioned impromptu inventor of jerry-rigged gadgets?  

For some, the silliness of MacGruber and the hack n’ slash Zuckers-esque approach to spoof comedy will be enough to get them through. For me, I was willing to give up the conceits of plot and character for a zany, laugh-packed romp. Unfortunately, there just isn’t enough genuine funny for me to really recommend dropping between 8 to 10 dollars on MacGruber.

Yes, it’s a step up from recent SNL fare, but it still doesn’t have the gumption to stand on its own, or anywhere near Wayne’s World. It will probably be pleasing to most as a Netflix rental or a date night pick from the Red box, where the expectations are low and the mood is a bit on the silly side.

Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

Deep down, I think we all knew it was too weird to be true. Sylvester Stallone had been talking a while back about how the fifth entry in the Rambo franchise would feature his character hunting down a genetically engineered monster. If ever there was a shark to be jumped or a fridge to be nuked, this was the grand-daddy of them all.

But now, Sylvester himself has notified the world of a slight change of plan. You’ve got to respect the guy for being extremely communicative with his fanbase in recent years. Here’s what he had to say:

I’m letting you know that Rambo has changed course and the story about hunting the man/beast will be done using another character in the lead. Rambo himself will be heading over the border to a violent city where many young women have vanished.

There will be blood.

Best,

Sly Stallone

This has its perks and pitfalls. We’re missing out on the chance to see something potentially really crazy awesome, a total genre-bender mid-series, but now we can also breathe easy and know he’s sticking to what makes the character strongest. Personally, I think as long as he doesn’t make another Rocky, we’ll be just fine.

The next time you’ll see Sly will be in The Expendables next year, which I cannot wait for.

I’m a huge, unabashed fan of the Rambo series; while the third entry is ho-hum, the latest was unexpectedly the goriest thing I’ve ever witnessed on opening day. Sly Stallone deserves praise for delivering the goods in his age, with both of his major characters.

Now, after The Expendables wraps up post-production, Stallone will begin working on Rambo 5, which he’s talked about since the release of the fourth picture, with a desire to push the character “into a slightly different genre.” He’s also talked down the gore factor of the fourth entry, which was excessive and refreshing, so I’m equal parts enthusiastic and skeptical.

Millenium Films/Nu Image (the folks behind Rambo) will handle the film, with Stallone starring and directing. Since he’s intrinsically wired to both Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, it’s pretty likely he’ll cover writing duties as well.

More news on this film as it develops.

I know a few months back when the teaser came out for Rambo all the big time action movie lovers got excited. You could just tell from that short little bit that this was going to be a no holds barred ass kicking movie and I can honestly tell you that it definitely delivers!

The movie starts with our hero living in peace in Thailand. Basically his life now is going out on his custom motorboat and capturing snakes for a local snake charmer. Pretty exciting way to live huh?

Enter 5 members from a church in the good old US of A. They explain that they were told to find Rambo and ask for boat transport up the river so they can provide aid to the people in war torn Burma.

Now before I move on I want to explain how Stallone tries to really bring out the horrible violence that goes on in Burma. He does it in a way that had me twitching when some of the acts of violence, rape, and downright cruelty towards people of all ages does that. It was definitely an eye opening experience.

After a lot of begging, Rambo gives in and takes the group into Burma and drops them off with only one little incident and returns home. Of course, the group giving aid is soon captured during a violent raid by the military.

Days later Rambo is tasked by the leader of the groups church to go find the group since they have not reported back for a couple of days. Yes, thats right, now might be a good time to bring up that the writing of this movie is pretty shady, but really who came to see this for good writing? Not me! Oh, and the leader of the church also has a small mercenary team with him to assist Rambo. There, the silliness is just about over.

Rambo and his band of troops embark on their trip to rescue the prisoners and let me just say the final 30 minutes of this movie is the most INTENSE bunch of action that I have seen in a movie in a long time. What I really like though is that they really go into detail about what happens to someone when they take a Barret Sniper rifle round to the head, what happens when you get blown up, its in GREAT detail. Its just special effects being used in its finest. Its a truly great job.

Overall, this is a very typical run of the mill action movie. The writing is below average at best, the other characters don’t really grip you in a way that makes you care anything about them, and Stallone does an admirable job (especially for a man who is 60) of bringing back the Rambo character almost the exact same way he was left years ago.

I recommend if you like action movies to go see this movie, its not too long at about 100 minutes and you will walk out of the theater feeling satisfied. I am going to give it a 7 out of 10.