Some farcical ridiculousness right out of the gate; some tacky ableism, classism, racism, xenophobia, and sexism, too, and for good measure, extra egregious notes of transphobia. Some lighthearted silliness, some parody of sports commentary, culture, and movies, some juvenile jokes about sex or anatomy. Fun-loving mirth, overused sound or music cues, plain old cruelty that's intended as humor: in absolutely no time 'Off the mark' throws a lot at us and shows that it's a very mixed bag. Some bits are clever and might inspire a smile or even a soft laugh; other bits haven't aged well and were never appropriate in the first place. On the one hand the first very first impression it makes isn't great; on the other hand, as the length advances more of filmmaker Bill Berry's wit begins to shine through. We're fed a steady stream of gags, exaggerated characters and reactions, upended expectations, physical comedy, sharp dialogue, and situational humor, and the dispensation varies from simply tawdry, to gently amusing, to earnestly funny, to completely over the top.
Suffice to say that the picture is wildly uneven, and from one moment to the next it may switch on a dime from entertaining to obnoxious. Yet while I absolutely had my doubts, and the end result is imperfect, I do think on the balance that this is better than not. For as much as its value fluctuates over eighty minutes, at its best this is delightful, and over time that proves to be the dominant mood. And even when an idea doesn't come off well, I appreciate the minor ingenuity of the countless gags that get tossed in. All along the way those operating behind the scenes were kept very busy, for the cornucopia in the writing demands an enormous variety of costume changes, hair and makeup, sets, props, stunts and effects, sound and music cues, snappy editing and cinematography, and more. The script (and Berry's direction) likewise demand a lot of the cast, too, and bless them for unreservedly embracing all the nonsense herein. Terry Farrell is the only actor here I'm specifically familiar with, but all others on hand - including and not limited to Mark Neely, Clarence Gilyard Jr., and Norman Alden - are just as terrific in leaning into the frivolousness.
It would have taken nothing away from the finished product had Berry reined in some of his worst impulses; on the contrary, 'Off the mark' would have unquestionably benefited and been more enjoyable if not for the utmost absurdities, and especially the tasteless punching down. With all this firmly in mind, it speaks well to the skill and intelligence of all involved that this still manages to succeed as much as it does, and earn as many laughs as it does. The feature definitely has its issues, but I suppose none any worse than a lot of other comedies from the 80s in particular. This is no must-see in any capacity, but it does turn out to be a pretty good time overall, and is surely most suggested for those who are huge fan of someone or other that's involved. One should be well aware of the film's faults before sitting to watch, but if you do have the chance to check it out, 'Off the mark' is solid enough to earn a soft recommendation.
