Movie Notes: Hamlet 2
= 2 stars
Starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, Joseph Julian Soria
Directed by Andrew Fleming
Synopsis
Failed actor turned teacher Dana Marschz’s (Steve Coogan) high school drama class is about to be shut down due to budget cuts. In hopes salvaging both the program and his reputation, he unintentionally writes the worst play ever: Hamlet 2.
The Good
- Dana — outrageously played by Coogan — is funniest at his most lost and pathetic — a moron oblivious to how moronic he’s being, resembling a deranged Oscar Wilde with great teeth.
- A bit of wit in the increasingly marginalized drama class subject to callous budget cuts — the class location migrates from the school cafeteria to the gym where Dana is dramatically hit in the head by a volleyball.
- A few great lines: “sperm doctor,” “Rock me, sexy Jesus,” and “raped in the face.”
The Bad
- Unfortunately, Dana’s play isn’t as terrible as it should have been, which in the context of the film’s plot, is a huge let down. Plus it’s a bit of a cheat to have the drama director act in his own misguided creation.
- Hints at being a parody of feel-good teacher / student flicks like Mr. Holland’s Opus, yet it wrongly ends on an up note as a homage. Perhaps Dana should have intentionally penned a terrible play (The Producers), purged some demons by working in the sub-plot of his wayward wife (Catherine Keener), or met an untimely end at the hands of protesters — or heck, his father. Yes, the ending onscreen isn’t as funny as the one already forming in one’s head.
- Not nearly as funny as Waiting For Guffman, another movie featuring an awful play by a lost director.
Conclusion
This is one of those rare situations where a film fails to live up to the promise of being awful and is all the worse for it. But I’ll never say this about any other film: I expected a sexier Jesus and much more face-raping.
IMDB: Hamlet 2
Wikipedia: Hamlet 2
Rotten Tomatoes: Hamlet 2