San Francisco's Talk Station

LISTEN LIVE

Follow @newstalk910

Free Live and Custom Radio

advertisement | your ad here

cBas NewsStream from 910am, San Francisco and Ustream

MacGRUBER

MacGruber (2010) Poster

Having never seen one complete episode of “MacGyver”, in I went. On top of that, I mentioned this one to someone, and they said “oh, that’s from the “Saturday Night Live” skit”, and I said “what?”. So, I’m really in the dark here – okay, I know “MacGyver” the TV show guy who was some kind of government agent used any piece of scrap he could get his hands on to make inventive stuff he could use during each episode, but that’s about it. That’s something, isn’t it?

This is a parody anyway. At least I think it is – it’s actually more of excuse to use “gross out” comedy, and sometimes it’s pretty funny. But if a guy putting a stalk up celery up his butt, and then chomping on it later is too much for you, you might want to take a pass. Hey, he claimed he washed it first!

Will Forte plays “MacGruber” and he’s simply asked to save the world from nuclear destruction. The culprit is played by Val Kilmer (looking really puffy by the way), and his name in the movie “Cunth”, which I did not say on the radio because I don’t know the rules on this one. Seriously, that’s his name. I guess it’s a matter of breaking through and using a name they couldn’t get away with on “SNL”.

You better find that funny, because for the first twenty minutes or so, there isn’t much else. But stick around – things do pick up. A big plus is the character played by Ryan Phillipe, a soldier named Piper who is picked by McGruber’s old boss, played by

Powers Booth, to team up with MacGruber on the mission to stop Cunth.

It was a good idea because Piper is no push over, and comically, and I mean by using a really straight face, challenges MacGruber every step of the way. It’s actually quite amusing – because he gets right in MacGruber’s face the way somebody would if they realized an incompetent clown may lead to all our deaths. As MacGrubers ideas get more and more outrageous and really stupid (think Maxwell Smart, only much more gross), Piper gets less patient. It’s one of the few highlights of the movie.

As for the female in this movie, not much - played by fellow SNL cast member Kristen Wiig. She’s MacGrubers old team member from “back in the day”, but doesn’t do much but literally play the “straight man”. With a bad wig and an odd expression, it doesn’t make for much comedy. Oh, and of course, she’s the love interest. Sort of – you see, bad guy Cunth killed off MacGrubers wife at the actual wedding, and he still misses her. So much so, it leads to one of the oddest “comedy” moments at the movies this year, when MacGruber heads to the graveyard for one more romantic fling with his dearly departed wife. You heard or read me right – and it’s as strange as it sounds.

Which is why I’m giving this movie more approval then you might think – it did manage to shock me and that’s not easy. And, yes, I laughed if that matters. I groaned too. This movie was an odd mix. You might look at it as a new take on the “Naked Gun” movies, but it’s not nearly as verbally sharp as that series. But, I’m a twelve year old boy at heart sometimes and toilet humor works – most of time. Ever hear of an “upper decker”? – I had not so that was a first for me. I give “MacGruber” a “5.0”. But go fast – with a take of 4 million this past week, it’s a goner.