The Jerky Boys

Yeah, this is a moronic movie. For those who haven't heard the boys' prank calls (which I find funny, and even sometimes clever), their jokes will fall pretty flat. They just don't work on-screen. And for those of us who HAVE heard their old stuff, the movie serves as a rehash and seems "old hat." The only reason I rented this was to get a look at the faces behind the voices--doesn't Johnny B. look like a chubby Sean Astin with a mullet-like hairdo? Stick to their audio-only work.

The Jerky Boys first audio tape was a huge success, and I enjoyed many hours of laughs from it. The second audio tape wasn't as funny, but still had some great jokes, and I never listened to any more after that. But I saw the movie on video, and it couldn't measure up. Just the same jokes from the first tape, only not quite as funny. And the token plot wouldve been better off just showing them make the calls. Alan Arkin as a mafioso was an amusing touch, following his psychiatrist from Grosse Point Blank. Everyone I know who saw this film thought it was mediocre, but the ones who never heard the tapes before thought it was somewhat funny, while fans of the Jerky Boys expected a whole lot more. Now Johnny and Kamal's 15 minutes of fame together are up, but at least they had a good run.

"The Jerky Boys" is mostly an excuse to be silly. The plot is that slackers Johnny and Kamal spend their lives making prank phone calls and inadvertently call a mob boss (Alan Arkin), pretending to be another mafioso, thereby starting a wacky chain of events. I actually thought that the best parts were the pranks. Still, the flick's an overall fun romp. Far from the funniest movie ever, but OK for a viewing. As it was, I saw this movie right after I first learned of Alan Arkin by seeing "Catch-22", so this was a real surprise. And now he's won an Oscar!

Anyway, pretty funny. Also starring William Hickey (the mob boss in "Prizzi's Honor" and the patriarch in "Mouse Hunt").

I never laughed so hard in my life! The language is quite raw, so those with sensitive ears should find an edited-for-tv version, and if you're looking for academy-award-winning material, pass this one up...but if you're just looking to have fun and laugh yourself stupid, this video is a must-see! My sides ached for three days after watching this movie. Johnny Brennan nad Kamal Ahmed are two of the funniest comedians that have ever rolled into public view. These are just two guys having fun and taking you with them, as if you had an extremely hilarious brother and his equally funny best friend. And EVERYbody has had a Brent Weir in their life at one point...and its a scream how they torment him throughout the film! If you're not anal about perfection but just like to let your hair down and have fun without judgement, grab this one up. You really wont regret it!!

Johnny Brennan and Kamal play themselves as a pair of prank callers who find themselves crossing wires with the mob. This is not one of the greatest films of 1995, but not very bad. More than half the pranks are based on their popular albums. If you're a true fan of "The Jerky Boys," you might enjoy this film. Personally, I like the albums better. Later, tough guy! My evaluation: ** out of ****.