Review of Gentlemen Broncos (2009) by Ronnie S — 08 Apr 2010

It's a damn good thing for Jered Hess' sake that he not only made Napolean Dynamite, but that he made it first, cause there's no way in hell anyone would've bankrolled his next two films without that first movie's popularity under his belt. Nacho Libre is a great movie but a conventional one that puts asses in theatre seats, it is not. But Nacho is about as conventional as Marley & Me compared to this movie.

The movie's got a plot. Sort of. A nerdy kid writes a sci-fi novel that's stolen by his struggling favourite author and made into a shitty movie by his friends. That's about it. You don't throw on a Jered Hess movie expecting a whole lot of plot. That's what I think some critics need to realize. That's why they probably didn't 'get it'. I mean this is Hess' third movie. They have to know by now you don't look for a 'deeper meaning' in his films. There is no deeper meaning. And it's not about what he's 'trying to say'. There's just Hess and whatever makes him chuckle at the time.

I have to say, kudos to Jermaine Clement for playing his part like he means it. There's nothing funnier or more successful in a comedy than an actor playing a compete buffoon as seriously as Al Pacino played his character in Dog Day Afternoon.

To be quite honest, the jokes are pretty lowbrow and if you think poo poo jokes are funny this is right up your alley. I do, and laughed a lot.