Review of Swiss Army Man (2016) by Joey T — 30 Jun 2016

Film lovers may revel in Swiss Army Man's bizarre premise, as it is safe to say that there are very few movies quite like it. This bizarre premise is boosted by two great performances by Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe and a strong visual style combined with confident editing.

Yet, despite the film's attempt at being different and unique, its characterization of the two main characters is anything but. Much of the characterization is expressed through some at times on the nose dialogue rather than through character interactions.

This makes many of these sequences feel not only disingenuous, but also extremely repetitive. Furthermore, the characterization hurts the film even more by the end, as its message of accepting who people are, craziness and all, is completely contradicted by the fact that I was not invested in these characters enough to fully get behind them.

Overall, Swiss Army Man has its fun moments, with its performances, premise, and humor being its strongest aspects, but it ultimately failed at making me fully invested in the two leads. This is a movie that is easy to admire, but difficult to recommend.