Movie 43 is a disgusting display of human nature. It is a vomit-inducing series of unfunny skits that makes Kentucky Fried Movie look like The Godfather by comparison. I don't exactly consider my time to be a precious commodity (I have seen such films as Yogi Bear and Disaster Movie in the theater knowing I would hate them.) However, Movie 43 not only wasted a hour and a half of my life but also made me cringe multiple times. This film is living, breathing proof that just because a concept is funny doesn't mean it can't be done poorly.
There are four skits I found bearable and yes---I even chuckled at these skits one or two times but only because I liked the concept of them. One of them is the recurring sketch which involves Dennis Quaid trying to sell a script to a film to Greg Kinnear. Another one of them involves Liev Schreiber and Naomi Watts as parents who try to give their teenage son a "real high school experience." Another one involves Batman (Jason Sudekis) consistently messing up Robin (Justin Long)'s chance at romance during superhero speed dating. The last one (which is halfway through the credits) involves a man (Josh Duhamel) dates a woman (Elizabeth Banks) much to his cartoon cat's chagrin. Once again---I have to point out that these are only chuckle worthy one or two times because of the concepts---not because they're actually funny.
There are eight other skits all of which are unendurable throughout. One involves a woman (Kate Winslet) who goes on a blind date with a man (Hugh Jackman) with genitalia on his chin. Another involves a woman (Anna Faris) asking her boyfriend (Chris Pratt) to void his bowels on her. Another involves a man and woman (Kieran Culkin and Emma Stone) talking dirty over a loudspeaker. Another involves a company head (Richard Gere) trying to find out why his music player that's built just like a woman is not being used to play music. Another involves a teenage girl (Chloe Grace Moretz) getting her period in front of her father, boyfriend and boyfriend's brother. Another involves a guy (Johnny Knoxville) giving his friend (Seann William Scott) a Leprechaun for his birthday. Another involves a couple (Stephen Merchant and Halle Berry) playing a disgusting game of truth or dare. The last one involves a basketball coach (Terrence Howard) telling his players they're going to inevitably win because of their race.
All of these sketches are either gross or offensive for no reason. I'm not a comedy snob...I can laugh at gross stuff but I need some reason to laugh at it. If someone gets her period or voids his bowels or talks dirty...I can't laugh unless there's some reason to. When filmmakers are presenting these ideas just for the heck of it then there's really nothing funny about it...it's just gross. Also...the actors are not the only talented people wasting their time on this film. The directors range from Brett Ratner to Bob Odenkirk to James Gunn. The most disappointing, however, is the skit involving Howard as a coach. I think Howard is a great actor but even worse Rusty Cundieff directed it. Cundieff is the writer and director of a hysterical, little known mockumentary about rap called Fear of a Black Hat. What's great about Fear of a Black Hat is how it pokes fun at racism while also speaking out against it. It did so with smart, witty dialogue and scenarios. I felt as if the basketball skit would have been funny had Cundieff wrote it because he knows how to make fun of racism without being offensive. Rather...someone else wrote the skit and it felt directly racist rather than making fun of or speaking out against racism.
There is no need to see Movie 43 in the theaters. The four skits I chuckled at once or twice will be available on YouTube within weeks. For this reason...I beg of you to spend your money on a better film like Silver Linings Playbook this weekend.
(1 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong pervasive crude and sexual content including dialogue, graphic nudity, language, some violence and drug use)
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