Movie 43 Review
by Daniel Rester
When I first heard that the film called Movie 43 was being made, I was excited. This was because I was told it was a comedy with an all-star cast which included Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman, Kate Winslet, Johnny Knoxville, Gerard Butler, Anna Faris, Seth MacFarlane, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Justin Long, and many, many more talented individuals. I didn’t think a film with that kind of cast could be totally terrible. But then I actually watched Movie 43…
Movie 43 is a film that revolves around a character named Charlie (Dennis Quaid). He is a nobody who pitches a series of film notes to a producer (Greg Kinnear) in hopes of getting a green light for a production. These film notes each get their own actual segments in Movie 43, making it into an anthology film. The only consistent plot element in the film is the Charlie story, while all of the other sections are totally unrelated.
This is the latest Hollywood comedy that claims to be “offensive” and “unforgettable.” I actually don’t mind many comedies with rude and tasteless elements as long as they have earned their laughs — with clever writing, or containing a point the filmmakers wish to make. Unfortunately, Movie 43 contains a lot of crude material but is mostly devoid of laughs. A few scattered moments did make me chuckle, but they are few and far between. Instead, most of the scenes contain repetitive jokes that get old quickly (some would have been great if they lasted two or three minutes, but many of them are drawn out to about ten minutes). And when they aren’t redundant, they are just strange; such weird moments include a naked female who is actually an Mp3 player and a man who kidnaps a leprechaun for his depressed buddy.
With a cast packed full of stars, Movie 43 seems to waste more talent than probably five usual talent-wasting films put together. Nearly every star in the film just phones in their performance, as it is clear that everyone just wanted to make a quick buck and have a fun time working together (too bad no one told them to let the audience be able to have fun also). Sadly, the movie had a lot of potential behind the cameras, too, with direction by such people as Elizabeth Banks, Peter Farrelly, and Griffin Dunne.
Only a couple of scenes in Movie 43 actually made me laugh out loud. The one that included a leprechaun (a nearly unrecognizable Gerard Butler) was completely off-the-wall and worked well as a short bit. It starred Seann William Scott and Johnny Knoxville, who have good chemistry and are clearly in their element here. The other that amused me involved a racist basketball coach (Terrence Howard, who actually brings energy to his one-note character) who has a tirade about white players.
Movie 43 is a prime example of a comedy that had potential but just falls flat on its face. The film is forgettable and bland, and marks career lows for a few of the talents involved. I say look up the two bits I mentioned in the last paragraph on Youtube in a few months if you want a little amusement. And then just skip the rest.
Rating: 1 ½ out of 4 stars (Grade Equivalent for Me: D).
