Review of Gentlemen Broncos (2009) by Michael H — 21 May 2010

As the movie started, I thought to myself, "this is definitely a Jared Hess film". The opening credits, very similar to that of Napoleon Dynamite, were humorous and you could tell that it was going to be about a sci-fi nerd. I was worried that it was going to be another Napoleon though, just another movie full of one liners and nothing really happening. Well, unlike napoleon, this movie had a story, and it had a bit more than that.

The movie was almost more strange and bizarre than it was funny. But it was funny, if you like that comedy. The sequences where it shows the main character's book "Yeast Lords", are probably the most memorable parts of the movie. Full of B-movie quality sci-fi acting and action, the book sequences poke fun on sci-fi movies in general, while still being entertaining but ultra-strange nonetheless. And it gets even weirder and when it changes according to other character's adaptations of the story.

The rest of the movie goes through the life of a home-schooled kid, who has obviously never broken out of his sheltered life before. Getting taken advantage of left and right, he seems to find himself losing everything. There are some pretty funny parts and some really weird still. But it all feels like Jarad Hess's cobbled together comedy, theres a throw up scene here, a blow gun scene here, lotion here. It's all very random, but enjoyable.

Overall this movie to me was not the best, and not the funniest, however I give credit to what they did. Making such low quality sci-fi scenes on purpose was absolutely genius on their part, and the even worse quality local film maker's adaptation was so on the spot for very amateur film directors it made me laugh. There's the full-of-himself author that seems to have only had one great hit in his life, and seems absolutely obsessed and stuck in that world he created. Never taking his bluetooth out of his ear, he reminds me of a nerd in general. They had the elements of a good comedy, and they pulled it off in their very own way, it's good to be original, but it's still another Jared Hess film. Only he can make movies with this feel to them, from what I have seen. And maybe these are the only movies he can make.