slodaddio

This movie did not follow in the trends of the typical sequel by sucking hard. Let's say it's more Empire Strikes Back than Jaws 2. Okay, that's a bit of a stretched comparison, but whatever - it was a rollicking good time.

First of all, this is not a movie to take seriously in any way. It's an homage to various horror movies and it has more cheese than Wisconsin. Some of the content you'll encounter: animated murderous hands, Frankenstein, zombies, aliens, black magic druids,...and more! I would love to see this movie re-imagined as a musical (a la Evil Dead).

WWII (uh, WaxWorks 2) gets extra points for guest appearances from Bruce "The Man Bull" Campbell (just made up that nickname for him) and Keith "Masturbation Strangulation" Carradine (nickname not made up). Set aside your critical mind for the dramas, for this campy feature all you need to do is cook yourself up some Jiffy Pop, kick back, and prepare to be moderately entertained. Oh, and the 90's sucktacular rap video during the end credits is a hoot. You'll be dumbstruck by smoove lyrics such as "Lost in time, Like a bug in a jar. No matter where you go- YO- there you are"

Why oh why did I punish myself and sit through this ploddingly slow crapfest? I guess it's the same phenomenon that takes hold of gamblers when they continue to gamble until losing every last cent--I was waiting for my payoff....but it never came. I was hoping for another Marvel movie hit, but this was hackneyed dreck through and through. Is it no wonder then that this movie did not see a theatrical release? Heck, it couldn't even go straight to video! What a fetid pile of cinemuck! On a positive note, I did like the swamp environs, but the creature itself looked like Swamp Thing's ugly step-mother, after one of her tentacles wandered into an electric outlet. Do yourself a favor and watch the original swamp creature movie: Swamp Thing. Yeah, it's a bit campy, but it's damn enjoyable, unlike this turd.

I went into an advanced screening not knowing what to expect--and that's probably the best way to experience this (or any great) film, should the hype make your expectations exceedingly high, thereby leading to inevitable disappointment (So, dear readers, ignore my acclaim and go into this movie believing it to be a mediocre effort). I have a hunch that the buzz from this film is going to be strong and, whether or not it's strongly marketed, the word of mouth alone should give it some legs and make it a classic, if not a cult-classic.

Simply put, this is one of the funniest, quirky and original movies that I have ever seen. I feel that it effectively captures the painful (and hilarious) awkwardness of adolescence in much the same way as Rushmore or the much-acclaimed television series Freaks and Geeks. It's been compared to Welcome to the Dollhouse as well.

The characters are all fully realized, with the exception of the popular kids, who don't really matter anyway since the geeks rule in this film(well, sort of--when they're not being slammed against lockers and coerced into giving up their bikes). I especially like Napolean, who demonstrates an interesting admixture of abject cluelessness and smug self-assurance. In a way he is slightly askew and awkward, but in other ways he represents someone we should aspire to be--pure in purpose and spirit and a beacon of hope amid dire circumstances. There are several other highly memorable characters, but instead of getting into their collective pathos, let me just strongly encourage you to go see this timeless gem of a film. You'll be pleasantly amused.