An American Carol

I can't say that my politics are very conservative (except in making government smaller), but this film makes "Baby Geniuses" seems like "Citizen Kane."

I can appreciate a well-made film regardless of its agenda. "Patton" and "Dirty Harry" are great, quality films with a Conservative bent. "An American Carol" is not.

This movie is not quality film-making. The writing, as Shakespeare wrote, "is a tale told by an idiot: full of sound and fury and signifying nothing." And NOT funny.

The acting - (Dennis Hopper, go watch your early work and strive for half of that artistry) - is painful. They say, "drama is hard, but comedy is harder." In this case, Kevin Farley (the Frank Stallone of the comedy world) must think drama is impossible.

As to the dual credits of direction/writing, David Zucker has completely lost it. I loved his earlier work, but he hasn't worked on an artistically successful film in over ten years, and it shows. Sort of like Dennis Hopper.

Go see this movie. You will laugh at the sad truth of it all. Freedom is not free. We would not have the liberties we have without kicking some crazy rears now and again, and to protect our rights now we need to keep a strong military. I was disgusted with the previews that came before the movie. Full of lewdness and porn. Have we sunk this far? What good money is wasted on disgusted movies, that warp our children's minds. Hey liberals, why don't you take all that money you have raised for the next worthless movie you are working on and feed the poor with it! This movie is not perfect, but makes some great statements, and you will laugh out loud. Go to see this movie, if only to make a statement.

An American Carol is an entertaining movie on many levels. I found it to be humorous and extremely poignant. The last take off on Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" that was this funny and this entertaining was Bill Murray's Scrooged. Kevin Farley (yes, Chris' brother) is amazing as rotund, anti-American film maker Michael Malone. This film perfectly lampoons and wonderfully illustrates mindless liberal agendas across the board. It's even emotional and moving at times. The amazing cast includes many cameos (Leslie Nielsen, Dennis Hopper, Kelsey Grammar, James Woods, etc.) and many outstanding performances. Almost every scene delivers either something silly, flat out funny or something to think about. If this movie doesn't make you think and cherish America then your mind is already closed, what there is of it.

I loved Airplane! I think it's a staple on the American comedy scene. In fact, I love several of David Zucker's movies, but he seems to have lost his understanding of the American psyche in his last few attempts. An American Carol, for instance, could just as well have been a pro-Nixon movie, released soon after Watergate. I'm sure there will be a few who will find Zucker's portrayal of Michael Moore funny and they would likely find a Zucker portrayal of Martha Mitchell to be humorous, as well. The irony comes in Zucker's failure to realize that most people side with Michael Moore on his opinions, as well as the facts that support his opinions, which Zucker pokes fun at by treating them as if they were untrue.

As a Liberal, I didn't expect to agree with Zucker's political views, and yet, I felt compelled to watch it and give it a fair shake, believing that my difference in politics might not prevent me from finding it funny. Unfortunately, An American Carol ended up being as disconnected from reality as I'd feared beforehand and I can't help wondering what Hollywood genius figured it would be a good idea to make fun of a controversial American political icon, just as the vast majority of Americans were figuring out that his serious accusations were justified. If Zucker were around for the Boston Tea Party, he most surely would have had a blast ridiculing Samuel Adams, and those throwing tea overboard, and I'm sure he wouldn't have spared American revolutionaries for wanting independence, either, because Zucker seems all about protecting the establishment, no matter who it is and what faults it may have.

I may sound motivated by politics, but that's really not the impetus for my harsh review at all. We've all seen funny political humor that was driven by views that we didn't share, but this is different because Zucker is trying to force humor that just isn't there. Michael Moore offers a plethora of opportunities for humor, but there is nothing funny about portraying people as wrong, when in fact, they were right. And if I am wrong on this, then I have a great idea for a satire about Abraham Lincoln foolishly trying to end slavery, which I'm certain will have it's fans as well.

Some slapstick, mostly the kind of stuff you laughed at when Tom & Jerry did it thirty or forty years ago. Script-wise, it makes 'Goodburger' seem like comic genius. If you loathe Michael Moore, you'll probably find it hysterical. If you watch any network but FOX News, you'll possibly get a chuckle. But if you're just looking to throw away $9, go buy nine scratch-cards and save yourself the hour and half of your life.

I thought it was going to be good farce, going in. I'm no fan of Michael Moore, but it takes some particularly vile cowardice to claim that anyone "hates America" because of their political views. Neither Barack Obama nor John McCain hate America. Joe Biden might accidentally call it the wrong name and Sarah Palin can't locate it on an unmarked world map, but they don't hate it. If the producers were seeking to attract the attention of independent moderates in the election season, they needed to put more work into the humor and less into making their already-fanatical base bark and clap like seals.