Review of Wayne's World (1992) by Lorenzo V — 30 Jan 2011

"I once thought I had mono for an entire year. It turned out I was just really bored.".

Two slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.

REVIEW.

While Mike Myers may be better known for Austin Powers and Shrek, 'Wayne's World' was the film that really brought his comedic genius to the mainstream public. Originally a Saturday Night Live sketch about Wayne (Myers) and Garth (the underrated Dana Carvey) about two friends who start a public access cable TV show in their basement, it's one of the best (if not the best) SNL-to-film adaptations ever.

While the plot is fairly simple, where Wayne's World really shines is its clever humour. It highlights and subverts the rules of film narrative, something Myers carried over into Austin Powers, a trait which is lacking in the more predictable comedies of today (especially the awful "parody" films). Wayne and Garth talk directly to camera (which only they are allowed to do), there's blatant product placement, pop culture parodies, guest appearances, the famous Bohemian Rhapsody headbanging scene and funny alternate endings. Top that off with the slew of silly jokes and endlessly quotable lines (including one of the first uses of the phrase "that's what she said"), and you have a film which - even nearly twenty years later - still strikes a chord with viewers, regardless of their age. Even towards the end, when the need to wrap up the story cleanly can ruin many comedies, 'Wayne's World' still retains its sense of humour, a prime example being Wayne's "Oscar winning" speech to win back Cassandra (Tia Carrere).

If you feel like a laugh or want to relive some memories, then you could do far worse than check out 'Wayne's World'. Excellent.