There's only so much you can do.
As a constant listener of Marc Maron's WTF Podcast, I found an interview with him and T&E mentor Bob Odenkirk, and he describes exactly what I think held this movie back from being what it could have been: When you make a movie, you have a LOT of people to please on some level. The producers, directors, actors, executive producers, EVERYONE has to be pleased on some level, or else there's gonna be a problem. I think that this concept comes through in this movie in huge ways.
The story here is the same as many of the people reviewing this movie. As a huge Tim and Eric fan, I'd been looking forward to this movie for quite some time, and very simply put, you should go in with your expectations in the medium-low range. There are some really funny moments, but there are multiple problems with this film that include, but are not limited to:
- A very Hollywood-esque feel, as opposed to a classic, awkward Tim and Eric feel. This could have been used to certain advantages, but only a small amount of the jokes attempted within this context are notably funny.
- An EXTREME lack of the Awesome-Show style jokes prevalent in Check it Out and TAEAS.
- As a certain critic pointed out, the storyline simply isn't funny. I found myself laughing at way more of the off-kilter characters and awkward, stabbing moments than jokes coming from the story.
This doesn't mean that T&E fans necessarily have to go home sobbing, however. Loggia, Ferrell and Forte serve very good, funny roles, Forte especially notable as a sword salesman constantly on the edge of losing his mind. The son jokes are present, the ending is pretty funny, and let's just say that Shrim definitely serves up to it's mysterious poking-at in the preview.
5/10. It's alrite, but if you're expecting the greatest T&E masterpiece of all time, you, unfortunately, will have to wait for another day.
