Review of Hamlet 2 (2008) by Ross L — 17 Jan 2011

I love Steve Coogan, but he can't carry this film. His performance is all over the place, and though he might hit the right notes for each scene, his character is wildly inconsistent. I love Catherine Keener, but I'm really tired of her playing the same, mailed-in, unhappily married/divorced person every time out (40-Year-Old Virgin; Synecdoche, New York; Cyrus, etc.). And I don't hate awkward humour. When done right, as it occasionally is in Hamlet 2, I actually find it quite funny.

So - what the hell happened? This film is clunky and difficult and very hard to watch, painfully unfunny in places, but producing just enough laughs that you can't turn it off. Or maybe you can. Part of me would say, actually, that you should. I had to take a break and return for the ending a day later, and really, it wasn't worth finishing. The last line was interesting, though, given when I watched it (Jan 10-17, 2010): "No matter where you, it's always going to be better than Tuscon." I blame Sarah Palin. Yuk yuk yuk.

From the co-writer of South Park and Team America. NOTE: Not Matt Stone. Not Trey Parker. Pam Brady. Who? Exactly. Flashes of hope in this film, but ultimately, a huge letdown. I was pulling for a cult classic but this one just didn't deliver.

PS: David Arquette? Really? The eventual reason for his "just standing there" performance is evident from the beginning. Easiest. Paycheque. Ever.