The Great Film Discussion

[ymymeatemup]

THE HOLY TERROR (1929)

Things that intrigue me:
Mary Ann Jackson. She's essentially the title character in this film, and lives up to it in spades. It's interesting to note that both of the shorts in which she's a 'holy terror' (the other being "Growing Pains") are lost films. This is unfortunate, since this seems to be her main persona upon entering the Gang, or at least for the films that revolve around her.  It shouldn't be too surprising that she was given such a prominent position in the troupe, though, since she had already established herself in film comedy at the Sennett studio, and was immediately one of the top earners in the Gang.
Joe Cobb. He earns a hundred dollars (!!!) from Mary's mother for 'training' her 'girl daughter.' What's amusing about this is that the instructions come out of a dog training manual. But, of course, it works, as corroborated by a certain "South Park" episode.
The Gorilla. He belongs to the grandfather of the house, and is inevitably let loose by Mary Ann, frightening kids and adults alike. Much of what takes place anticipates the action in "Bear Shooters." But was Charles Gemora also hired for this film?

[ymymeatemup]

FISHY TALES (1937)

Things I like:
Alfalfa. He's quite good throughout the film, but his facial reactions while his foot is being tickled could only have been pulled off by him. It's very unusual for even the most gifted child actors to handle pure comedy this way, but Alf was the exception.
Butch. This might be the quintessential Butch episode. Not only is he as terrifyingly menacing as he was in "Glove Taps," he also shows that there's a limit to his villainy by initially forgiving Alfalfa for the mishap with the rubber dart. Tommy Bond turns in a flawless performance, with the usual ample support of Sid Kibrick.
The Rubber Dart. That's quite a nifty special-effect shot as the dart is racing toward Buckwheat's head, but of course, Buckwheat's facial reaction puts the necessary comical exclamation point on it.  Honorable mention goes to the almost-as-nifty mirror shot of the dart on Butch's nose.
The Fish. Best performance ever by a dead animal in an Our Gang comedy. The somewhat jarring image of Alfalfa's paralyzed leg is one of the handful that really stand out in my memory of watching this series as a child. And the pounding of said leg with a hammer is one of the most bizarrely amusing things ever to happen in this series.
The Music. As the series was relying less and less on incidental music, it's always refreshing to come across a late-period short that uses it as liberally as this one does.

Things I don't like:
Absolutely Nothing. While I wouldn't necessarily cite this as my favorite Our Gang short, it seems to be about as flawless as this series ever got. As was the norm for these Gordon Douglas one-reelers, the pacing is as brisk as the Hollywood cartoons that were hitting their stride around this time, and the story is told succinctly enough that there isn't a wasted moment. If I were to bring up any reservations, they would be purely of a fanboy nature. For instance, why do Spanky and Butch have identical penmanship? And why does Darla run away from Butch like all the other kids? More importantly, why is Alfalfa convalescing in the Gang's clubhouse rather than at home? Is Spanky actually his Mom?

Grade: A+

[RJH]

Fly My Kite (1931) - The gang adores Grandma, a sweet old widow who reads to and boxes with them, but is getting evicted from her house by her evil son-in-law Dan, who caused her daugher's death by breaking her heart. On his way out after a visit that includes a painful fight with the gang , Dan opens Grandma's mail and discovers that some old bonds she has may be worth something. While he visits the company, Grandma is going over her old memories with the gang, including a photo album, when Wheezer finds the bond certificates. Grandma believes they're worthless, and she holds onto one of them while telling Wheezer to burn the rest. At that point Chubby enters complaining his kite won't fly. Grandma tells him it needs a heavier tail, and ties the bond she's holding onto the end. Grandma then explains that he still needs several more papers. Fortunately Wheezer is very incompetent when it comes to lighting a match and keeping it lit long enough to burn something, so he retrieves the other bonds and they are all tied to the tail. Dan comes back, breaks Grandma's glasses, and lies about what the letter said, instead saying the company is bankrupt and the bonds are worthless. She tells his he's wrong, that the bonds aren't worthless and have gone up - on Chubby's now high-flying kite. Dan climbs out the window to grab the kite from Chubby and Dickie Jackson. Stymie observes that the print in the letter is greatly magnified when viewed through a fishbowl, and this enables her to read the letter. She tells the other kids to help them, and an extended chase and fight ensues. Pete ends up grabbing the kite reel and eludes Dan. The gang ropes Dan's foot and drags him through sharp painful objects in the field. The kite winds up snagged on a power line, and Dan climbs the pole to get it. Farina flips a switch giving Dan some jolts of electrcity, and tells the gang to throw rocks at him, and then cut the pole down with a saw or two. Grandma fianlly gets the help of a policeman as the telephone pole comes crashing down in a large mud puddle and all is well.

Well, all is well if Stymie hasn't drowned, as this closes with Farina, standing in the water to his chest, claims he has the unseen much shorter Stymie by the hand. I just don't care for that joke to end this overly melodramatic but largely entertaining film. Grandma is a delightful character, and interacts very well with the children. She must have been really stupid in the past, though, to entrust her money to Dan. She is also kind of slow in not being suspicious when Dan climbed out the window to go after the kite. Stymie gets a lot of good one-liners, but then there's that stunt again of him throwing rocks straight up and hitting himself in the head. (Actually, Dogs is Dogs, where Stymie hit himself in the head with eggs, came a few months later.) Another thing of note is Pete does a great job with the kite, leading everyone on a chase and avoiding getting caught while clamping onto the kite reel with his teeth. It would have been nice if Mary Ann Jackson had a more significant part since this was her last film in addition to Farina and Chubby. In the first fight she hits Dan (and Wheezer accidentally) with a board, but that's about it, aside from being one of the group in the final chase.

[ymymeatemup]

IT'S A BEAR (1924)

Things I like:
The Arrows. Not a bad moment when the arrow connects with the farm hand's derriere, but there's something grotesquely hilarious about the arrow sinking into his thigh a few moments later. Maybe I've just been exposed to too much modern animation.
Farina's Pigtails. The gag with the pigtails standing on end happens every once in a while during the silent era, and this is one of those films. It's always comical, if somewhat expected when there's a bear present.
Joe Camel. He's the kind of kid who's so understated that I don't normally think of him when I'm listing this stuff, but Joe is featured fairly strongly in this film, and I do find it amusing that he teaches himself to roll a cigarette with one hand. However, his upset stomach at the end of the film just shows that people under twelve shouldn't mess with cigarettes.

Things I don't like:
The Lack Of More Highlights. There's nothing terribly wrong with this Our Gang entry, but there's nothing terribly right with it, either. And I think the trouble mainly has to do with the type of pleasant goings-on that normally happen during the opening portions of these silent episodes. As usual, there's some fun stuff to watch, like Jackie and Dick pretending to hunt wild animals, and the interaction between Mickey and Mary, which is typically charming. But the only thing that really happens is that we simply switch locations to the farm midway through the film, and the pleasantries continue, albeit with farm animals. The whole thing feels like a twenty-minute opening sequence.

Grade: C

[ymymeatemup]

FLY MY KITE (1931)

Things I like:
Grandma. She is hands-down my favorite 'grandma' of the Our Gang world. In scenes that could easily fall under the weight of their own melodrama, she comes across as a genuine person, and I find it impossible not to wholeheartedly sympathize with her. There are few things more natural than the camaraderie between old people and little kids, and this film is quintessential in portraying this. The other side of the coin, of course, is Grandma's most impressive athletic abilities, which provide the biggest belly laughs in the film.
The Kids. There's not really any one or two of them that stand out necessarily, but all of them are enjoyable to watch, including the seldom-seen ones like Georgie Ernest. Their handling of bad-guy Dan is a wince-inducing wonder to behold, and certainly proves that if enough underdogs get together, the bullies of the world are doomed. And if I wasn't already getting choked up enough over Grandma's dilemma, seeing the kids' tearful reactions is sure to turn me into a blubbering mess.
Dan. Sharply contrasting the sympathetic members of the cast is one of the most despicable characters in series history. Essentially a beady-eyed two-bit crook, he's diabolical enough to hurt the people close to him, but doesn't have enough on the ball to ever do anything on a larger scale. Honorable mention goes to Mae Busch, who was in this series for only a few seconds, but manages to leave a permanent chill nonetheless.
Leroy Shield & Pete The Pup. I mention them together because of how well the music works during the scene where Pete has control of the kite.

Things I don't like:
Pretty Much Nothing. Aside from a few brief gags that fall flat, I can't really find fault with this episode. Certainly, one can point out the heavy sentimentality and simplicity of the characters, with good guys and bad guys being unambiguously presented, but this was primarily a family series, with children being a crucial component of the film audience. From that standpoint, this episode works beautifully, being alternately funny and heartbreaking, charming and suspenseful.

Grade: A+

[RJH]

Football Romeo (1938) - The gang tries to psych Alfalfa up for the big game by making him jealous by seeing Darla constantly with Butch, but it doesn't work. Alfalfa writes a good-bye love letter and says he'll be a hermit and live in a cave. His mother concocts a plan where she has Gary (Junior) deliver a note saying Darla will read the poem to the grandstand if Alfalfa doesn't come play. He runs to the field with the gang losing in the fourth quarter, whereupon Darla tells him her letter is in the laces of the football, so he has to go get it. Alfalfa makes several great plays going after the ball, and scores two touchdowns, including the game winner as time expires. He then finds the note is one from Darla saying she still likes him and Butch is a dope. Alfalfa's mom takes credit for understanding Alfalfa.

As far as the Alfalfa being the football star, this is better than Benjamin Franklin Jr. The best idea is putting the letter in the football laces, forcing Alfalfa to play hard to get it. On the other hand, this pales is comparison to The Pigskin Palooka. Football Romeo made me feel sorry for Butch, who does play his role well. Darla leads him on with no intention of being his girl. Also, Butch is the victim of dirty play in the game. Alfalfa rams Butch in the stomach with his helmet on a pass play, which is both offensive pass interference and a personal foul for spearing. This is also dangerous because it can cause broken necks. The pass play itself is physically impossible, wtih Alfalfa runs downfield faster than the ball is thrown, and the ball staying in the air too long. Also, you don't get unlimited time outs as the gang seemed to be taking. I found the twin announcers speaking in unison annoying, and didn't care for Alfalfa's mother tone when she claims all the credit for solving the problem. A huge negative is that Buckwheat and Porky are only extras in this. I also feel sorry for Leonard, who is ridiculed by Spanky as a poor substitute for Alfalfa, and gets the uniform number zero. At least Leonard does get a line when he is replaced: "Phooey!", which isn't that far off describing this film.

[RJH]

Jubilo, Jr. (1924) - Will Rogers apparently meets up with three hobo friends who ask him why he's wearing a flower in his lapel, and he explains that he always does that on his mother's birthday. He then recounts the brithday where his stingy jerk of a father was too cheap to buy her a present, so Mickey (that is, Will Rogers as a child) goes out and tries to earn enough money to buy a three-dollar hat. He is offered a dollar to dig a six-foot hole, but doesn't get paid when the man who made the offer gets taken away as a mental patient. Ordered to fill the hole back in, he cons the gang Tom Sawyer style into paying him for the privilege to take his place. Mickey fails as a construction worker, spilling a wheelbarrow of wet cement which somehow becomes voluminous enough for the gang to get their feet stuck in and have the gag of walking away in cement shoes. He does better at organizing a circus, where despite some minor mishaps as a bareback horse rider raises a good amount of change, but ends up thirty cents short. This happens to be the amount of change he had for his mother at the beginning, so he borrows it to buy the hat. When his father finds out, Mickey gets a severe spanking. It is eventually stopped by his mother, and when Mickey produces the hat, the father relents, realizing what a jerk he is. Back to the present, Will Rogers has to film a scene for a movie, and his mother comes by, still with the same hat. Rogers then pictures the old gang waving in his mind.

This certainly is unique. The regular gang's appearances are all flashbacks, and should be around the year 1890. Actually, all their action is supposed to take place in a single day, and it's a big stretch to believe that the circus could be organized and performed the same day after three hours were spent digging the hole, filling it in, and the construction site scene. Mickey is very good throughout trying everything he can to raise the money. The rest of the gang has smaller parts than usual. I just assumed the three hoboes at the beginning and end were other actors in the movie Rogers was filming. Overall, kind of in the middle for the silents.

[ymymeatemup]

FOOTBALL ROMEO (1938)

Things I like:
The Story, I Guess. As with most MGM episodes, this one is constructed in a fairly concise way, and can be described as 'moderately engaging.' Much of what made the series work in the Roach era was still intact, but the new studio was already making some alterations. If I wasn't familiar with the series and watched this short, I'd probably think it was pretty good, but of course, as an Our Gang fan, I can see how it pales in comparison with most of what preceded it. It's one of the many Butch episodes from the early MGM era, and while he's typically good in his role, the character is quite subdued. He's even, dare I say it, kind of nice.  It's also worth noting that Alfalfa does a pretty good job in this one.

Things I don't like:
What It's Not. In other words, "The Pigskin Palooka," the superiority of which I find impossible not to think of whenever I watch this MGM short.
The Seriousness Of It. Even though there's mildly funny comic business here and there, this film seems to have sort of a heavy mood hanging over it. Never is this more apparent than when Alfalfa is with his mother and lowers his head to her bosom. And then there's Mom, who seems surrounded by a saintly aura. "It's the duty of a mother to understand the nature of her child." This bit of dialogue quite nicely underlines the influence the new studio had over the series - in only its fifth entry.
The Strained Humor. Let's see - the parrot is more annoying than funny - the twin announcers take a novel idea and squeeze all the spontaneity out of it - the ball hits the scorekeeper on the side of the head in what I can only describe as 'anti-slapstick' - and then there's some okay funny bits that are so forgettable that none come to mind, even though I just watched the film.

Grade: C+

[ymymeatemup]

JUBILO, JR. (1924)

Things I like:
Mickey Daniels. As usual, he handles his lead role admirably, during both the humorous bits and the serious bits.
The Circus. The whole sequence is fun to watch, but special mention should go to the freak show, which was quite a novel idea, and also to Andy Samuel, who reprised his Chaplin impersonation (albeit more briefly) from "The Big Show."
Bughouse Bailey. I'm not quite sure what I like more - the loopy character name - or just the straight-faced way this guy talks to Mickey.
Most Everything Else. While this series was quite often guilty of just throwing together odds and ends and calling it a story, this particular short has a pretty definite storyline. In fact, unlike in most Our Gang silents, it gets underway almost from the start of the film. It's a bit unusual to see the degree of heavy-handed sentiment that we do in this early silent, but it's pretty much isolated at the bookends of the film, with everything in the middle dealing more with funny situations. It's also notable that, while featuring celebrated humorist Will Rogers in the film, Hal Roach also pays homage to an even more renowned humorist of the past (and fellow Elmiran), Mark Twain, with the hole-digging scene clearly being influenced by the white-washing routine in The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer. It's also interesting to see the gag photos that Rogers shows to his hobo pals. Even though we think of 1924 as the distant past, the idea of something being painfully old-fashioned was already a fact of life back then.

Things I don't like:
At Least One Missed Opportunity. Sure, Will Rogers is featured in this Our Gang episode, and he's an appealing presence, but we never see him in the same scenes with the Gang. This short would have been just as good without him, which seems a funny thing to say since he was one of the greatest humorists of his era. Also, unlike in the actual Will Rogers series made at Roach, his inter-titled dialogue isn't particularly witty. Another missed opportunity.

Grade: B+

[RJH]

Forgotten Babies (1933) - The gang would like to go swimming but they have to mind their little brothers and sisters. They coerce Spanky into looking after all the littler kids by threatening to tell the cops that he broke someone's window. Spanky succeeds for a few minutes by telling a Tarzan tale, but then one kid climbs up the stairs, and while taking care of that, all the other kids trash the house. One turns on the radio to a murder story and dials the phone, prompting the telephone operators to get the police to come and eventually sort things out. Spanky has solved his problems by immobilizing the babies, gluing them to the floor, putting them in cages, and the like.

Spanky is excellent in this; it's just that isn't really an Our Gang comedy, it's a Spanky comedy. The rest of the gang is present for two minutes at the beginning and fifteen seconds at the end, and it doesn't appear they ever went swimming as they are all dry. Of the little kids, two stand out: Cotton gets lots of action, playing with a vacuum cleaner, record turntable, and knocking things to the floor, and the kid who says "remarkable" thirteen times and turns on the radio. Spanky is very good showing exasperation at the "remarkable" kid. One thing that is really awful is one girl falling from a standing position on a chair to the hard kitchen floor, and getting scolded by Spanky. There are a couple other instances of babies crying for real which I find unpleasant to watch. More positively, this film shows that Spanky was among the most talented for his age in all of film history.

[mtw12055]

Forgotten Babies (1933) - Not much to say, except...

Aug 3, 2014 22:43:02 GMT -5 RJH said:

Spanky is excellent in this; it's just that isn't really an Our Gang comedy, it's a Spanky comedy. The rest of the gang is present for two minutes at the beginning and fifteen seconds at the end, and it doesn't appear they ever went swimming as they are all dry. Of the little kids, two stand out: Cotton gets lots of action, playing with a vacuum cleaner, record turntable, and knocking things to the floor, and the kid who says "remarkable" thirteen times and turns on the radio. Spanky is very good showing exasperation at the "remarkable" kid. One thing that is really awful is one girl falling from a standing position on a chair to the hard kitchen floor, and getting scolded by Spanky. There are a couple other instances of babies crying for real which I find unpleasant to watch. More positively, this film shows that Spanky was among the most talented for his age in all of film history.

...ditto.

Also, I got a kick out of the obvious Laurel and Hardy shout out towards the end of the film (note the different sizes of the hats).

[RJH]

For Pete's Sake (1934) - Bully Leonard lassoes Marianne's doll, which gets run over by a truck. The gang goes to get a new doll from his father's store, but they don't have the money. They try to earn it by doing yardwork for a neighbor, but Spanky and Scotty destroy a carpet with a Pete-powered lawnmower when the dog chases a cat. An attempt to glue the shag back on has a chance to work, but Spanky and Scotty, and then Pete, mess that up by walking on it before the glue has dried. The neighbor wakes up from his hammock when he is hit on the head by coconuts shaken loose from a tree that Stymie tied Marmalade to because she keeps getting her dress caught on various objects and hanging from them. After the neighbor chases the kids away, Wally decides to take up the offer of trading his dog Pete for the doll. On the way out of the store, they break some vases, and the owner insists on taking the doll back and keeping Pete. This is too much, and Pete turns on Leonard and his dad, causing a lot more damage than the doll and vases are worth. Thus Wally gets Pete back and the doll, but the owner puts the wrong doll in the wrapper. When this is realized, Pete drags Spanky and Scotty back to the store as it's closing for the day and grabs the right doll. Now Mariaane can sleep that night.

The above is right on target. This is really very good except for the wrong doll being black and rejected, and the revealing scene where Spanky is getting the grass and carpet shag out of his pants and is exposed because the gang moved a big rug to hide their attempted fix of theshag carpet is unnecesary. Leonard and his father are big jerks and it's satisfying to see Pete turn on them; they really deserved it.

[ymymeatemup]

FOR PETE'S SAKE! (1934)

Things I like:
William Wagner & Leonard Kibrick. They don't really look like father and son, but they're equally nasty characters. It's pretty clear that Leonard's total lack of empathy for little ailing girls is directly the result of the example set by his petty, unscrupulous father. But that's what bad guys in old movies are all about.
Wally Albright. I can't think of another Our Gang film in which the lead boy shows this much fortitude in the face of danger. Obviously, if Leonard's mother doesn't call him home, Wally gets his rear end handed to him, and Wally knows it - but he's a boy of principles, and he's going to do what he can to set things right. And, of course, he ultimately does. And Wally the actor makes Wally the character totally believable from start to finish.
Spanky & Scotty. They're still a little rough around the edges, but the 'partnership' featured in these early Gus Meins episodes really came into being with this short. They'd be given snappier dialogue in the next couple of films, but they're already quite delightful in this one.
The Rug. Pretty much everything about this scene works for me, but the lawn mower creating the zigzag pattern on the rug, followed by the gluing of the rug, followed by Spanky and Scotty walking on the rug, followed by Fred Holmes getting a face full of shag - each bit of humor is topped by the next one, resulting in the kind of sequence that belongs on any series highlight reel.
Pete. This latter day incarnation of the Gang's beloved dog was usually a bit underwhelming, but he deserves the high sign for taking matters into his own paws near the end of this short.
The Toy Store. Imagine how much you could make on eBay with the toys that fill the counters of that store? On a side note, as much as I like early Disney cartoons, I still find it oddly enjoyable to see Pete tearing up that Mickey Mouse doll.
The Music. It was going to be used less in upcoming years, but it fills up the soundtrack to this short and keeps things light and breezy.

Things I don't like:
Just The Minor Stuff. This film has such a solid footing in the storytelling and characterization departments, that I find it surprising that it still has a few weird little flaws in it. Foremost among these would be the notably unfunny situations Stymie's sister gets herself into, which are made all the less funny by the blank expression she keeps on her face. Less troublesome, but still kind of annoying, is Jackie Lynn Taylor's way of saying "Doncha Honey?" And, of course, there's the dilemma involving the black doll, which in 1934 really wouldn't have been given to a little white girl. Audiences of that time would've considered the boys' reactions to be entirely understandable, but now the whole situation looks really tacky. As far as Spanky's derriere goes, I'm neither offended by this type of thing, nor am I as amused by it as audiences of the thirties were. And if you're not sure what I mean, just check out the Silly Symphony "Water Babies," which is pretty much wall-to-wall baby butts. SOMEbody considered this entertainment back then.

Grade: A-

[RJH]

July Days (1923) - "Dad" Anderson (Richard Daniels) is the town blacksmith who makes sail-powered scooters for the gang, and breaks up a fight when bully Jack pulls a seldom-seen girl's (Julia Brown) hair, and Mickey comes to her defense. He also fixes things, and makes a horseshoe for Ernie and Farina's mule Dinah. Here Mary and Jackie are new arrivals in town, and soon take a lamp to Anderson to get it fixed. Jackie gets an immediate invitation to join the gang, and gets roughed up a little, but nothing like Joe in later films. Mickey is attracted to Mary, but she isn't very interested at first, and Mickey loses a fight with Jack, and even gets pounded on by Jackie and Farina. Mickey goes by Mary's house later, but she does not appreciate Mickey's little tree frog he keeps in a matchbox. Mickey asks for advice from his loder sister's boyfriend, who advises him to give her candy and flowers and take her riding. So Mickey does, with his little goat-drawn wagon. Mary's family evidently think Mickey is moving too fast. Jackie chases the little wagon and puts glue on the seats when Mickey and Mary get up, which causes them to get stuck. Mickey rips the seat of his pants getting up, and Mary's dress is damaged. Mickey then gets Anderson to sew his pants and suit him up in armor, using pots and pans and stuff from the blacksmith shop, including an interesting helmet. But when Mickey tires to serenade Mary, her mother throws water on him. Mickey is ridiculed for his army, and soon he is fighting Jack again without it, and this time he wins. Then some businessmen make a deal with Anderson, where they'll sell all the scooters he can make and he and the gang will become rich and can smoke real five-cent cigars.

This is a solid, enjoyable film. The story line of boy tries to win girl isn't exceptionally original, but Mickey handles it very well, and Richard Daniels is great at doing so much for the kids. My print ends abruptly and it seems odd that Mary wasn't in the last few minutes, so I might be missing something. This features my favorite Mickey quote: "A feller can stand jus' so much -- an' I'm through standin'." There are the staples of Jackie pulling pranks and Farina with a couple comedic moments. From time to time the gang is seen riding the scooters, and Jack seems better behaved then before his last fight wtih Mickey. The business deal makes this end on a happy, feel-good note; I just would have included Mary at the end to hear the good news.


Side note: In 1925, one of the four dolls Mary got in "Mary, Queen of Tots" was black, and she was delighted to have it along with the others. Good for her.

[ymymeatemup]

FORGOTTEN BABIES (1933)

Things I like:
Spanky. Needless to say. He was possibly the only child actor who could sit and tell a story and keep it entertaining for several minutes. Of course, unlike in "Free Eats," where he seems to be winging it, I think the material in this film was largely fed to him by McGowan. Also quite amusing is the earlier scene where the older kids are trying to convince Spanky to watch the babies, culminating in one of his funniest lines: "Allllll right! - but don't you tell those cops!"
"Remarkable!" Never has a single word made such a difference in one Our Gang film. Anytime somebody asks "Which one is 'Forgotten Babies?'" all one needs to say is "Remarkable!" and it becomes obvious.
The Radio. I must say, that's quite an attractive radio set featured in this film. Fun programming, too.

Things I don't like:
The Second Half. There's some pretty good material here and there, especially the idea of combining a vacuum cleaner with a tub of flour, or the idea of a toddler causing a large bed to collapse - but there's just as much run-of-the-mill material as well. Ultimately, it drives home the point that there isn't really a story being told in this film. It's just a series of gags that start to get tiresome halfway through the film.

Grade: B-