Wet Hot American Summer

I have read all of the on-line reviews of this movie and I don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean, I'm from Philadelphia, and Wet Hot American Summer was just about the worst movie I've seen all year. If this is supposed to be satire, it falls flat. If this is supposed to be absurdity, it's pretty banal. Looking at this movie from 1000 different angles, I see 1000 bad movies, and I don't want to hear "you just don't get it." That is a lazy defense of a comedy. Try giving reasons, evidence, support for your claims. You know, the essence of an argument. I don't know, I don't really care anyways. Just forget it.

It's the last day of Camp Firewood 1981 in Maine. Camp director Beth (Janeane Garofalo) is interested in physics professor Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce) who lives nearby. Gene (Christopher Meloni) is the volatile Vietnam vet cook. Susie (Amy Poehler) and Ben (Bradley Cooper) intends to put on a show. Andy (Paul Rudd) is the bad boy making out with Katie (Marguerite Moreau). Gail von Kleinenstein (Molly Shannon) is the art teacher struggling with her divorce. Victor (Ken Marino) is a bumbling womanizer wannabe. McKinley (Michael Ian Black) is in a secret relationship with Ben. None of the camp counselors are terribly concerned about the kids' safety as craziness runs rampant.

This is a scattered parody filled with random crazy characters and ridiculous situations. I first saw this a couple of years ago. The cast is a who's who of today's hottest stars. They seem to be having crazy fun doing silly skits. It's definitely a hit and miss proposition. It misses more than it hits but it misses with a charming stupidity.

Set in the summer of 1981 this film follows the fortunes of campers and camp supervisors on the last day of camp at Camp Firewood.

Some of the dialog truly is laugh out loud funny, yet some parts - like talking vegetable cans and NASA equipment falling from space is just plain weird.

There is also a rather disturbing edge to this film too - like a rather out of context gay sex scene, a child drowning while two camp supervisors "get it on", heavy drug use in one particular scene and a rather suggestive element of supervisor/camper relations....

Its certainly unique and will probably leave you scratching your head afterwards asking yourself "what the ****????"

Wet Hot American Summer is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. It has an excellent cast, including: Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Michael Showalter, Paul Rudd, Chris Melloni, Amy Poehler and Michael Ian Black. This spoof of summer camp movies from the 70's and 80's does a great job of recreating the implausible and predictable plots of the movies of the ear while still staying incredibly funny and fresh. WHAS touches on all the old themes, such as the nice guy trying to get the hot girl, the director awkwardly trying to find love, and the outcast who saves the day. Some of the funniest scenes in the movie are the ones that are so random and unexpected-Andy and the kids in the van, the trip into town, etc.-that you just have to laugh. I have no idea why it didn't receive more attention. It's a shame that a movie this good hasn't received the attention that it deserves.

This movie made me so happy. The performers are so gifted. The details in the art direction and characterizations were pretty spot-on too. Amy Poehler in particular delighted me. That girl rocks my world. Everyone has their moment though. In this time when parodies are almost more common than original ideas, this movie stands out as one of the best.