Mascots

The closet thing we have to the great Mike Leigh is probably Christopher Guest who serves up another of his improvfests, Mascots. Following on the heels of his other competition flicks Best in Show & For Your Consideration, we follow a bunch of lovable eccentrics trying to make their mark in their world w/hilarious, rib tickling results. We also have a return of Corky St. Clair from Waiting for Guffman which is worth the price of admission in itself.

Not the greatest film, but has plenty of laughs and guffaws. Seeing this cast is like seeing old friends. There's hilarity, stupidity, and complete schizoid moments that make absolutely no sense at all. But hey, remember that this is a C. Guest film. What more were you expecting? At a budget of the listed $20,000,000, you can be sure a LOT of that went into the elaborate costumes and pro for the mascots.That is, unless they raided a lot of high school and community college storage bins. Like other mockumentary films by Mr. Guest, get past the character set-ups and the pay-off is in the competition. It does not disappoint!I will recommend this ONLY to friends who also enjoy the antics of Christopher Guest.

I was pleasantly surprised how watchable this was after a less than promising trailer. The comic timing and line formation could have been a lot tighter but we have a fun yarn here where the quantity of story lines keep it fresh.

The vibrant costumes and the delightful routines of the third act are what seals the deal.

So much better than at least one of Guests other efforts.

MASCOTS is Directed by Christoper Guest and follows a bunch of different Mascots from around the world who are about to compete in the World Mascot Association Championships where the winners receive "Fluffies". If a mascot wins one of these awards it is possible that it could change their life forever.

This film is structured just like a few of Christopher Guest's other films including A MIGHTY WIND and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN. It is filmed as a documentary expect the characters are fictional.

The best part of this film is, by far, the crazy assortment of characters that we follow. From a married couple that is constantly trying to hold back their anger for each other, to a English man who wants to try and add a new routine to his families old mascot routine but keeps getting rejected by his father. These characters are hilarious to watch and follow. When you see them go through their routines in and out of the costumes you can't help but smile and, sometimes, laugh so hard you have to leave the room. The thing that makes this film really stand out is just how seriously the people involved take this competition. It seems like a really stupid thing to have a contest for the best mascot, however everyone involved treats it like a professional Football championship or the Oscars. It is so important to them and because they are pursuing their passions and their dreams you connect with them and desperately want them to do well int the competition.

Where this film needs work is it's third act, it isn't bad however the editing is a bit of a problem. NO SPOILERS but the film gets to what should be considered the climax or the final rising action leading to the climax and beings to pull focus on other moments that aren't as interesting as what is happening in other places. There is also not a lot of interaction between different mascots, which makes sense when they are involved in a competition with one another however it does leave a sense of some missed opportunities for a few more laughs.

Overall MASCOTS is a very effective comedy that has some truly hilarious moments. There are just some parts where the film just misses the opportunities to be really great.

FILM: 4/5 PERSONALLY: 4.3/5

Christopher Guest has always made seriously hilarious mockumentaries. Beginning with the classic comedy "This is Spinal Tap," Guest has riffed on every subject from local theater, to dog shows, and here he is taking on the world of mascots. He assembled some of his favorite actors (Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Ed Begley Jr., and John Michael Higgins to name a few) and has released his newest film "Mascots," on Netflix. Though Guest uses the same great set-up as many of his past films, sometimes tried and true methods are more tired and false.

While I have enjoyed all six of Guest's written mockumentaries, this film is a bore-fest from start to finish.For one thing it doesn't feel like a mockumentary. There's too much polish and obvious talking heads flavoring this film for it to feel like anything other than a run of the mill, factory made comedy. Though there are a couple of chuckles to be had at the witty banter, there's nothing truly incisive about the commentary of this film. The world of mascoting might be small, like the dog show circuit, but it's not one that truly lends to a lot of social discourse, or any true characterizations of small town America, which is Guest's bread and butter. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire reason Guest chose mascots is part of the film concerning the Furry community, which is the only truly interesting bit of the film.

Some aspects of the film feel really stale and out of place. The entire plot turn where Cindi Babineaux's school's past is called into question, was clearly unneeded, because it does nothing but hinder the plot and confuse the audience. It's also unclear why Fred Willard and Brad Williams conversation needs to happen at all, except to show a character out of their depth. Actually a lot of the cast feels unneeded or written poorly, including the married couple, The Fist and his straight man, and all the side mascots. The routines aren't even really about supporting a team. They're often influenced more by vaudeville, or clown culture, which doesn't fit into the film at all.

Honestly, this would have made for a better television show. It would be great to see these characters in a more in-depth way, and really explain mascot culture for those of us completely in the dark. Though it's clear much of the cast is trying their darndest to recapture the old magic of "Waiting for Guffman," and "A Mighty Wind," this is probably the lowest Christopher Guest has ever sunk. (Barring "Almost Heroes" of course.)