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.

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.

I am one of the biggest Mr. Show fans on Earth, I watched the first episode when it originally aired, and every episode after that. I've bought the 1st through 3rd season DVD's, and I'm convinced it is the funniest show ever. So when you know the comedy potential of Bob and David, then you see this movie, you wonder what they were thinking. Even now if you visit their site they will tell you themselves it was a horrible movie. You are just left wondering, how can these two hilarious guys not make a hilarious movie? I loved the Ronnie Dobbs segments on Mr. Show, but even when I heard they were going to turn it into a movie long ago, I couldn't imagine how they planned to stretch it out into a full-length film. Having seen the film it's apparent they didn't know how to either. The funniest parts of the film we've already seen in the Ronnie skits on Mr. Show. There were a few chuckles in the movie, but Mr. Show made me roll on the floor. There are a few Mr. Show characters in the film other than Ronnie and Terry, such as "Three Times One Minus One" the reporter Tim McCracken, and possibly a few others, I forget. The funniest part of the movie was Jack Black and his musical number, but it had nothing to do with the plot of the film itself, and this wasn't even one of Jack's best performances.

Not bad but...clearly either a case of too many cooks in the kitchen or massive studio interference marred what could have been a real blast of a comedy based on the cult favorite show MR. SHOW'S most enduring sketch.

After viewing the DVD's deleted scenes section is becomes very clear that a truly hilarious film does exist somewhere in there (including a much better ending, and a great rant by David Cross inspired by a similar one he did on the very first HBO episode of the t.v. show) but as it is the film is fun and occasionally very funny but often only passably amusing. Some inspired cameos, especially the one featured in the Broadway Musical rendition of Ronnie's life story which I will not spoil for you here, some nods to the stream of consciousness style of the show itself and of course all the familiar cast faces (Bob and David in particular) help elevate this endeavor, but as a long time fan who has seen every episode of the source of this movie, HBO's t.v. show "MR. SHOW", multiple times, I have to say the end result is a bit of a let down. Don't get me wrong, it's enjoyable, but it's hard not to wish another cut could be made that includes more of the cut material. That along with cutting a bit of David Koechner's part (and he is pretty funny here, like he usually is, but less would be more in this case), or maybe losing his narration altogether, would really put this flick up where it should be. A mistake early on in the general concept of the movie was made when Ronnie was made more likable than his television version. The film suffers a bit from sentimentality as a result and loses a lot of the MR. SHOW bite. This new sentiment could have still worked, however, if the cuts to Koechner's character and the reinsertion of the deleted scenes (including even more that's featured in the trailer but aren't even in the deleted scene section) could have been made. Seeing how neither is even remotely likely, I'll just have to go on wishing, and enjoy the picture for what it is, a flawed attempt that is still a must see for fans. Here's to some alternate cut turning up one day, grainy and edgy...which is really the way MR. SHOW is meant to be anyway!

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.