Ponterosa

Ponterosa is about few summer days at a camping ground with a nut case supervisor Mauri (Tony Halme, Finnish equivalent for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura, a pro wrestler who became a politician), blind guy and his buddy that Mauri believes are gay and three mega sexy models (including Karita Tuomola, former Miss Finland) whom mostly are at bikinis or at mini skirt at least. Those three then happen to be the only reason to watch this since there's really no plot, no good acting, no professional production. Just the women in bikinis.

The movie started of quite funny, at least in finnish standards but sort of cooled of after 10 minutes or so. The movie was kept alive by a few funny jokes and one liners plus 3 gorgeous models whos looks made up for their lacking acting. A nice addition was Tony Halme, former wrestler and newly elected member of parliament who really showed what lousy acting is all about. In my opinion the movie failed to achieve anything, but it was a nice way of wasting an afternoon. I wouldn´t call it crap, but still nothing to cheer about.

Ponterosa is crap, nothing else. One of the worst finnish films ever made. When this movie was released in 2001 it got so bad reviews that it vanished from theatres. Seeing finnish celebrities "act"...is horrible. I give this movie 1 out of 10 (½ out of *****)

Ponterosa, a Finnish comedy film, is a fascinating exploration of identity, culture, and the absurdity of human existence, cloaked in lighthearted humor and surreal scenarios. Its metaphysical qualities lie in its ability to weave philosophical undertones into a narrative that, on the surface, feels delightfully eccentric and approachable.

The film uses its offbeat characters and bizarre situations to subtly interrogate deeper existential questions. Who are we beneath societal labels? How do we find meaning in the mundane? The comedic absurdity serves as a mirror to the absurdity of life itself, making the audience laugh while inviting them to ponder their own place in the cosmos.

The cinematic use of landscape is also noteworthy; the Finnish wilderness serves as a metaphorical backdrop, embodying both the vast potential of human freedom and the isolating nature of existence. In this way, Ponterosa transcends traditional comedy, offering a thought-provoking, metaphysical experience wrapped in laughter. It's a gem for anyone who appreciates humor with a deeper edge.

In my experience, there are two types of bad films: those that are unintentionally bad (and the lack of quality comes from the filmmakers' inexperience, funding, or other factors) and those that are created to be "cult" films in the first place (and often end up being just not fun to watch). "Ponterosa" is somewhere in the middle of these two. Apparently, the aim was to make a cheap and campy film in the first place, and this time the film is enjoyable to watch if you like B movies.

The plot is a hodgepodge of random events and scenes. The film was shot digitally and it almost looks like your average home video from the early 2000s. The music is also worth mentioning as half of it comes from a music library and includes olden goldies like the theme from Batman or "Lollipop", and the other half is quickly made synth sounds. Surprisingly, the acting is perhaps the strongest part in this one, as especially the professional actors manage to deliver their abysmal dialogue in a pretty good way. Then again, we also have the performances from the celebrity actors like Tony Halme to keep you entertained for their sheer awfulness.

"Ponterosa" is one of those films that you have to see for yourself to fully embrace its (lack of) qualities. Cult classic for a reason.