Norman Checks In

Poor Norman, the living representation of Murphy's law. As he struggles through his bad situation with seeming futility, we who are watching revel in his misery. Each episode of a Norman Krasner short is a comedic treasure. You feel for him but can't help laugh at his predicaments and frustration. We've all been in his shoes at one time or another so we can relate. What makes him special is how the bad luck and bad situations pile on. When you think that it couldn't possibly be worse for him, something else happens. These shorts are wonderful in their original form and even more fun with the Rifftrax treatment. I absolutely love these shorts and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a chuckle.

My second short with Norman and I'm just as confused as I was after watching the first - Welcome Back, Norman. In this one, Norman checks into a hotel only to discover they've lost his reservation. Norman is given another room, but because of a taxidermy convention, the new room isn't as nice as what he'd originally asked for. As expected, nothing goes right for Norman. From little things like stubbing his toe to having the water cut off in his shower after he's soaped-up - if it can go wrong, it does.

I rate shorts with two things in mind - is it entertaining and is it effective. Entertaining - yes, although only mildly so. Some of Norman's antics, particularly in the shower, were quite funny. And I enjoyed the way Norman never spoke during the entire run-time. Only heavy sighs and the look of a man who has been beaten down. On to the second criteria, effective - I'm not sure. After two Norman installments, I still have no idea what the purpose is. If it's merely entertainment, it's reasonably entertaining. If I was supposed to get anything else out of the short, that message went straight over my head. Anyway, a 5/10 from me.