Trailer Park Boys: The Movie

I saw it today at a screening here in Victoria, BC Any hard-care TPB fan will be happy with the translation to the Big Screen. No contrived "fish out of water" plot-lines or cameos by unlikely big Hollywood stars.

The budget was spent on a few car crashes, and that's about it. Viewers outside of Canada or not-too-familiar with the characters will be able to follow the characters.

Plenty of dope-selling talk, liquor and whores: the staple of life in Sunnyvale.

Die-hard fans of the show will be able to spot recurring characters and actors from previous episodes.

Just saw this tonight along with a sold out crowd (can't remember the last time I was at a movie that was sold out hours in advance). Did not disappoint at all, had everything you would want from the boys and more. The only thing I thought that could of improved the film is a bit more time fleshing out the story lines. The "Big Dirty" turns out to be a quick job that might disappoint some people. Overall a rightful standing ovation at the end of the film from the Sunnyvale hungry audience. I personally would like to have seen more Ray, as he always cracks me up but this is nit picking and I am sure that they will explore these things in future sequels (I hope). I am sure a lot of this might go over the head of American audiences once this is released there but for now I revel in this made for Canada movie with all the in jokes any Canuck would love. I plan to see it again once the crowds die down, I tell you it was a mad house atmosphere in the theater and well deserved.

Trailer Park Boys: The Movie is a feature length film of the television series Trailer Park Boys. Seeing as the ads and the film's trailer give away virtually nothing that will spoil the film I have decided not to give a plot synopsis and besides fans of the television series should know what they are in for and what to expect from the film. I first started watching the television show back in the fall of 2005 and only after a few episodes I was hooked and have been watching it ever since even if the episodes are re-runs. The show itself is like a comedy soap opera. In the first couple of episodes we are introduced to the main characters and more as the series goes on. The characters go through various humorous situations and some real life problems as well. Many would dismiss the show and call it vulgar and unappealing due to the language in the series and the occasional drug use and mild violence. To me while watching this show the three main characters Ricky, Julian and Bubbles grew on me and I started to like them and there were times when they would make me laugh and times when I would feel genuinely sorry for them. The series also has some of the most interesting side characters of any series I have ever seen as well. What I like about the show so much is that it is almost always constantly funny and keeps a smile on my face even if I have seen the same episode over and over again. The show is always entertaining and intriguing and never loses steam not even for a second. Also the show has a lot of heart. Family and friends are really important to these guys and deep down they care for each other and try to take care of one another and there are some episodes that are downright touching and heart warming. I 'am pleased to say that everything I liked about the series is there in this full length movie. The same great characters and side characters are there, there is humour, there is heart and it is entertaining from start to finish and it's just like watching a full length episode of the series, so overall I was not disappointed. If you are a fan of the television show then I can see no reason why you would not like the movie. And on the other hand if you are not a fan of the series the chances are great that you will not like the movie either. If you are however interested in the movie I do suggest you watch the show first to get acquainted with the characters and all the different things they have been through. The show is still on television and if you don't get that particular station you can find the episodes on DVD. Trailer Park Boys is one of my favourite television shows on the air right now, so seeing as the movie is just like the show or maybe even better than I'm sure you can understand why I loved this movie and consider it to be one of the best films of 2006. I applaud the cast and crew for making a great series and pulling off an excellent movie as well. Good job guys you made something great and fans like me will not be disappointed by this movie and like I said earlier it is one of the best films of the year and one of the best recent comedies of the last few years as well.

The cult TV show from Canada has really surprised me with how fresh the comedy has stayed throughout its six year duration. When I first heard about the jump to the big screen, I wasn't quite sure how to take it. Most half hour shows that get feature film updates really feel forced and dragged out like the writers took their next show idea and filled it up to last an hour and a half. With a show like "Trailer Park Boys" I sensed that something like this would happen, but thankfully I was wrong. Rather than expanding a short story thread, the creators actually seemed to have taken a full season arc and shortened it to make a movie. Trailer Park Boys: The Movie is then a tightened piece of work, with all the good parts kept at the expense of filler, to make it 100 minutes of pure insanity and hilarity.

A movie like this can only do justice if it keeps what works from the show. Our heroes, Julian and Ricky, need to go to jail at some point and come back to the trailer park right when the residents were getting used to the lack of trouble the two cause. Ricky then needs to win back his girlfriend Lucy, Julian needs to find a new masterminded crime to attempt, Jim Lahey has to find a reason to get the cops to arrest the misfits again, and Bubbles can enjoy some human friendship again, having only his cats to spend time with when the boys are gone. All the laughs and staples from the show are here to great effect. Now, while Showcase in Canada is a cable station with the swears and drinking allowed, it seems the filmmakers have decided to step it up even more for this movie. Lahey adds his favorite curse adjective to everything he says, (the least sense made the better), Ricky butchers the English language, Bubbles goes on his Tourettes rants, and with the addition of a strip club locale, nudity is very prevalent whereas non-existent in the show. The boys have pulled out all the stops for a crazy adventure of low-class criminals and the seedy activities they partake in for the love of friends and family.

It is great seeing John Paul Tremblay (Julian) and Robb Wells (Ricky) keeping their characters consistent with the show. The two have a great rapport and really shine as the brains and stupidity of the operation respectively. Their friend Bubbles is hilariously played as always by Mike Smith. His slow mannerisms and bottled up aggression always lead to laughs between his small vocal outbursts and his full on attack once his shack is destroyed. All the other regulars make appearances too, John Dunsworth the best of which plays his drunk park supervisor role to perfection. When he does a long take stare while downing an entire bottle of alcohol, I was dying of laughter just from the dedication to the scene. There has to be sacrifices of course for a jump like this, though, and that is at the expense of characters Cory and Trevor. This duo are great fun and foils to the boys in the show, but mostly wasted here in the film. Also, where was J-Roc? Youknowwattimsayin?! I really wish his role was bigger than the ten or so minutes he got.

Sure the film might not be as successful as the show, but it still delivers the big laughs and misplaced heartfelt moments as its originator. It was strange seeing the numerous inconsistencies to the show being that this is not a continuation after season 6, but an almost restart to gain a new fan base. I understand the reasoning here, but I feel that they could have kept it in context to the storyline with scenes of exposition from the show itself to help new viewers understand what was happening. Either way it was still enjoyable. Credit too to the Canadian support as always with cameos from Gord Downey and Alex Lifeson, along with the great soundtrack and hidden easter eggs. Between the numerous Hip songs, Our Lady Peace sampling (during J-Roc's rap), Tea Party instrumentals, and Rush titles hidden at the theatre (game machine was 2112, and the movie names based off songs), I had fun noticing them all. So, whether you are a fan of the show or just want to experience the craziness for the first time, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie is well worth your time.

I caught the private screening hosted by Ivan Reitman on Sept 11th in Toronto. I enjoyed the movie a lot. I was mostly impressed with Rob Wells and Mike Smith, who really stepped up their performances for the big screen. Any fans of the show will surely like the movie, so be sure to check it out. It's tough to say whether the movie will gain fans outside of Canada, but let's keep in mind that Canadian movies like Porky's and Meatballs did so I wouldn't be surprised if TPB:The Movie obtains the same cult-like fan base. As a side note, I was surprised by the amount of T & A used. I could see how it was added much in the same way comedy movies from the 1980s used it to pacify the audience. I'm still undecided about whether or not it was necessary and it may have taken away from the inside- tone of the show's/movie's concept.