Wet Hot American Summer

I actually didn't see this until after I went to camp for the first time. I was probably too young to see this before I went anyways. But this is very much what its like at camp. Sometimes you just sit around and talk about funny stuff that is just fun to do to. You don't always have to be doing stuff. Some of my favourite memories about camp are just from meeting different people (some weird) and talking about funny stiff. This is what this film is all the weird funny stuff that happens at camp.

Put simply, upon release in 2001, Wet Hot American Summer was a disaster.

Ignored by most critics, failing dismally at the box office and genuinely disappearing from many peoples radars, David Wain's 80's spoof comedy seemed like just another low-brow comedy destined for an unmemorable life, until low and behold, the cult circuit took over and Summer has become somewhat of a classic.

Spawning a prequel and sequel series on streaming kingpin Netflix, Summer's reputation has grown over recent years thanks to the airplay its received from people's lounge-rooms and for the fact Wain's film is a hotbed of early career activity for some Hollywood's biggest players.

Early career turns from the likes of Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Elizabeth Banks, Amy Poehler, Joe Lo Truglio and Ken Marino as well as extended parts from established stars Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Christopher Meloni and Molly Shannon, Summer has one of the early 2000's greatest ensemble casts that helps make watching Summer in today's climate a genuine blast no matter what flaws the films has.

As a film, there's a lot wrong with Summer, it has a bare bones story cut straight out of the Richard Linklater rule-book (think Dazed and Confused and Everybody Wants Some!! with less nuance) and a fair chunk of jokes fall relatively flat but thanks to its carefree charm and the natural charisma of its cast, much of Summer is an easy to digest joy.

The dark sense of humor of Wain such as drowning children, crazed Vietnam war veterans with odd fetishes and a continual gag about a particularly long day timed with a frequent clock also help make Summer a black comedic delight, a comedy not afraid to go to some dark places even if its relatively non-existent story doesn't bother to delve deep into much else around its low-brow antics and end of summer camp activities such as a talent show or an odd game of capture the flag.

The haphazard nature of the film and oddball happenings are the likely reason Summer has managed to overcome its early failures to achieve a long-lasting success and while it's by no means a cinematic masterpiece, it's hard to see how one wouldn't enjoy their time in Camp Firewood with a crazy collection of flawed yet lovable counselors.

Final Say -

A time-capsule of early career moments for a raft of well-liked stars and an entertaining throwback to the heyday of raunchy 80's comedies, Wet Hot American Summer is far from a masterpiece but a thoroughly fun and frivolous one of a kind romp regardless.

3 cans of mixed vegetables out of 5

This movie defintely has its high and low points, the plot concerns the last day of camp in 1981 at a small Jewish summer camp in Maine. It's meant as a parody of all those late 70s, early 80s teen sex romps like Porky's and Meatballs, and while some of the parodies are dead on, others fall rather flat. Perhaps the funniest moment concerns some of the counselors "hour-long" trip into town which starts out innocently but then degrades into a drugged-out parody where the kids start out smoking cigarettes and quickly go to robbing old ladies to feed their newfound cocaine and heroin addictions. Other high points include the Vietnam veteran cook, the loony arts & crafts instructor, and even the children deciding not to play baseball against the anonymously evil-rival camp because they just don't feel like it. A lot of the movie seems more like a bunch of strung together sketches, which adds to its weakness. However, it is fun to see the return of the bad haircuts, too-short shorts, and high socks that made up that era, along with some great early 80s rock hits.

It's the last day of Camp Firewood 1981 in Maine. Camp director Beth (Janeane Garofalo) is interested in physics professor Henry Newman (David Hyde Pierce) who lives nearby. Gene (Christopher Meloni) is the volatile Vietnam vet cook. Susie (Amy Poehler) and Ben (Bradley Cooper) intends to put on a show. Andy (Paul Rudd) is the bad boy making out with Katie (Marguerite Moreau). Gail von Kleinenstein (Molly Shannon) is the art teacher struggling with her divorce. Victor (Ken Marino) is a bumbling womanizer wannabe. McKinley (Michael Ian Black) is in a secret relationship with Ben. None of the camp counselors are terribly concerned about the kids' safety as craziness runs rampant.

This is a scattered parody filled with random crazy characters and ridiculous situations. I first saw this a couple of years ago. The cast is a who's who of today's hottest stars. They seem to be having crazy fun doing silly skits. It's definitely a hit and miss proposition. It misses more than it hits but it misses with a charming stupidity.

This movie made me so happy. The performers are so gifted. The details in the art direction and characterizations were pretty spot-on too. Amy Poehler in particular delighted me. That girl rocks my world. Everyone has their moment though. In this time when parodies are almost more common than original ideas, this movie stands out as one of the best.