Run Ronnie Run

I'm not familiar with the Ronnie Dobbs skits on 'Mr. Show' but I really enjoyed 'Run Ronnie Run'. It's funny from start to end. In the beginning there's a cartoon which mocks the cine-goers and the movie itself is a spoof of the 'trailor trash culture', reality shows, censorship and stardom in Hollywood. The film is full of cameos and all the actors show excellent comic timing. Dot Lancaster's opening sequence and his reappearance are hilarious. But, the stars of 'Run Ronnie Run' are Bob Odenkirk and David Cross who also co-wrote the screenplay. It is their tremendous comic abilities that make this one a joy to watch. Even though both Ronnie and arguably Terry are dumb, the viewer roots for them no matter what. The offbeat and adult humour might not be considered as everyone's cup of tea but I believe that it's an underrated film. The humour works on multiple levels as satire, slapstick, dark humour and yes, there's something poetic about it too. Go and watch 'Run Ronnie Run'but remember that it isn't real, it's a movie.

Almost four years after HBO unceremoniously stopped running "Mr.Show with Bob and David",many of the producers,cast and crew of the show came together to make a feature-length movie about arguably one of the more memorable characters created on it:Indominable shirt-less redneck ne'er-do-well Ronnie Dobbs(David Cross,in one of the best showcases of his talent). This effort is a treat to those who enjoyed the show and/or the character,but I imagine the appeal is fairly limited.

This film is sort of a Rags-to-riches story,telling of just how Ronwell Dobbs went from ordinary,below-average intelligence hoodlum from rural Georgia who has a penchant for getting in trouble with the law,to a national and international celebrity and anti-hero,due much in part of the grooming of prissy,disgraced English film producer and failed inventor Terry Twillstein(Bob Odenkirk,who doesn't seem to get employed enough for my money). Terry gets his chance to groom Ronnie when the local sheriff in Ronnie's home-state(M.C.Gainey)makes a deal with Terry to take Ronnie off his hands. From there,Ronnie goes about finding creative new(and old)ways to get arrested in every state in the nation and many cities of many countries around the world. He,naturally becomes hugely rich and,as wealth is often to do to people,makes Ronnie an even bigger irresponsible ass than before.

Chock-full of cameos,ranging from former "Mr.Show" cast members such as Mary Lynn Rajskub(as herself),Sarah Silverman and Brian Posehn to non-show affiliates such as Jeff Goldblum,Matt Stone,Trey Parker,Scott Thompson,Mandy Patinkin,Jeff Garlin,Dave Foley,Andy Richter and Garry Shandling,this film is funny and loose,but it seems to be sort of an odd fit for the material it's presenting. Anyone familiar with "Mr.Show"knows that the sketches and characters had no end and merely blended into the next segment,simply to wrap around and come back to the host segment,whereas this movie has to flesh out a story that initially had one,maybe two segments of about seven minutes in length and make it into a full 90 min. film. It works just well enough as is,but it does kinda feel like writers Odenkirk and Cross and director Troy Miller were getting bored with the story and wanted to create a quick resolution to it. Granted,this show works no worse than just about any SNL sketch that got green-lighted in the past(Night at the Roxbury,anyone?),but having been a fan of the original show,I suppose I expected more.

As it is,it's a great showcase(as said earlier)for Cross and a tantalizingly sharp skewering of current television standards and what makes a celebrity in this culture.

An average episode of Mr. Show began with one idea and, by the end, returned full circle to that original idea. Run Ronnie Run follows that cycle. Ronnie Dobbs was first introduced in the first Mr. Show episode, and now years after the show was cancelled, we return to Ronnie in his very own movie to close the circle.

The movie, as an inside joke filled with many inside jokes that only fans of the show will get, is a disappointment. Many situations can only be fully appreciated if you have seen the series from HBO. Those who haven't will find themselves wondering why so many jokes fell flat. For those who have seen the full series, we find ourselves wondering, once again, why so many jokes fell flat.

The movie, a loose plot based on one portion of the first Mr. Show episode, anchors a handful of poor skits that just don't have the wit or anti-establishment humor that the series showcased.

At three times the length and only half the jokes of a Mr. Show episode, it makes sense that Run Ronnie Run has been sitting so long waiting for someone to take a chance on distributing it.

Why on Earth would the guys who gave us one of the smartest "premise" based comedy shows on television choose such an easy target for their first film? New Line's tampering is not the reason the film isn't that great, guys. It's the idea to begin with. A parody of red necks? Ohhhhh, how cutting edge. THAT'S never been done before. The guys seem to have gone out of their way to play two really tired characters, in a tired situation (Reality TV) that we've seen parodied over and over again in other places and are now about as fresh and funny as a "Full House" rerun. This is a really sad loss 'cause I doubt it's likely anyone will poney up the money now to give these guys a second chance.

Also, the cameos. Great stuff with Jeff Goldblum, and Jack Black's bit is hysterical, but usually the famous people are just standing around without a single amusing thing to do ( Sarah Silverman and Gary Shandling immediately come to mind).

Obviously this movie isn't as good as the t.v. show was, but it IS scarce, precious Mr. Show product. You have to take what you can get. I've watched the 24 episodes of Mr. Show many times. We all know that most of them were just brilliant. The problem is, 24 episodes isn't enough. Consequently, even though I had read the accounts of how New Line allegedly butchered this film in the editing room, I had to buy it when I saw it on the rack in the store.

Basically, you have to wade through a lot of bland, unoriginal material to find those small islands of greatness that recall the best of Mr. Show. The "Three Times One Minus" One video was fantastic, for instance. Those were among the funniest characters they created on Mr. Show, and their presentation here improves on what we had seen before. It was a great example of how having a full film crew and a studio budget permitted a more elaborate rendering of a great idea.

Perhaps one defect in this movie that is not New Line's fault was the decision to make Ronnie Dobbs the focus of the story. Ronnie Dobbs was NOT one of the better characters from Mr. Show. The first of the two skits in which he appeared (season 1) was very broad and way below the intelligence of the usual Mr. Show skit. It was SNL quality (which is to say poor). The second Dobbs skit (season 3)--the musical one--was actually pretty funny, especially David Cross' song (which Mandy Patinkin sings in the film), but even so there isn't really enough in the character to support an entire film. The decision to base the film on Dobbs is a bit surprising for the additional reason that Mr. Show prided itself on not relying on a stable of established or recognized characters. They were too classy, unlike SNL, to turn to a "Wayne's World" or "Church Lady" every week just to milk out a few undeserved laughs based purely on audience recognition. I would have expected Bob Odenkirk and David Cross to write a film script based principally on new characters (with some from the t.v. show maybe appearing once or twice in smaller roles). Surprising.

Ultimately, though, the price is worth it for die hard Mr. Show fans dying for some additional material; just don't hold out hope for a movie on par with the series. You'll get your money's worth based on Three Times One Minus One and Jack Black's cameo alone (and I usually think Jack Black is wildly overrated).

A final observation: the appearance of Jeff Goldblum in this movie confirms something I suspected ever since he narrated (without credit) the Civil War Re-enactment skit in the television show; he must be a fan of Bob and David's.