quinnsanitygotgame

This is a show about a clown. Rather than other sitcoms, this isn't about a clown in the nine-to-five world, or a group of clowns living in an apartment, it's about a clown who wants to be a clown. Chip Baskets will do something stupid and get back on his feet, then do another stupid thing, and clamber up again, he's cursed into being a clown, something that most people disregard, but he relishes in those moments that come once in a full-moon, the moments where everything is beautifully perfect, where nothing could go wrong. This is what this brilliant, dark, depressing yet hopeful show is about, relishing the moments in life when everything plays out just right, the Royal Flushes. (Side Note: Criminally underrated, deserves to be, at least in the 8.7 ballpark on this site).

The average episode of Monk is 42 minutes, double it and you get 1 hour 28 minutes. This film was 1 hour 37 minutes, so more of an extended episode of Monk than a film (not saying films have to be two hours, just that this one should have been). That's my first criticism. Second is the acting. My God. Obviously Shalhoub was great as always, Ted Levine was good and while Jason Gray-Stanford and Traylor Howard weren't as good as they used to be, I would certainly rather have had them come back then not be in this at all. But it's the (spoilers for Monk) daughter of Trudy: Molly, played by Caitlin McGee, that is so bad. She just can't fake cry. The bad guy is portrayed well, though his wife isn't the greatest, and Hector Elizondo is BRILLIANT, the extras, too, fall flat. But, despite the aforementioned flaws, I still felt giddy to see the band get back together. I think they should do a trilogy of these films, as all the actors say they're keen to revive the characters. 10/10 for writing. 6/10 for acting. 8/10 overall.