Director: Jorma Taccone
Starring: Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Val Kilmer, Maya Rudolph
Released: 18.06.2010
SNL (that’s Saturday Night Live to you) has spawned many famous sketches and reoccurring characters over the years. Sadly, when they transfer them to film, the results are usually hit or miss. For every Wayne’s World there’s an It’s Pat. For every Blues Brothers there’s a Coneheads (though, to be fair, The Blues Brothers was a flop when it first came out). Now, we have MacGruber.
As the name suggests, it is a parody of MacGyver, 1980s action man/handy man who was able to get out of any situation by utilizing his surroundings. Think The A team crossed with Handy Andy.
MacGruber is written by and stars SNL alumni Will Forte (who UK audiences may be more familiar with as the dry cleaner/actor Ben from Flight of the Conchords season one) and is the story of a one man killing machine brought out of retirement to stop super villain Dieter Von Cunth (played with seemingly great joy by a rather rotund Val Kilmer) from destroying the world with a giant warhead he steals pre-credits. MacGruber puts his team together (eventually) and sets out to stop Cunth (Kilmer) and also avenge the death of his wife, also killed by Cunth on their wedding day.
It is a wonderful poke and thumbs up to action films from the 1980s and, if you have seen your fair share, you will laugh at all the right places. For instance, MacGruber’s team consists of men with such names as “Vernon Freedom” “Brick Hughes” “Tanker Lutz” and “Tug Phelps”. There are some wonderful scenes and set pieces in this film and it will live on as one of those quotable pieces that students and office monkeys will spout out when the right situations arise.
The cast is fantastic; from the brilliant Forte, to the ever present (and that is a polite way of saying that she is in everything right now) Kristen Wiig as long suffering Vicky St.Elmo, unwitting master of disguise. Ryan Phillippe continues his career re-deployment as Dixon Piper, rookie with much to learn and newest member of MacGruber’s team. The wonderful Powers Boothe (Southern Comfort, Deadwood) also appears as Colonel Faith and continues to show his class. Val Kilmer is also lots of fun, he seems to be really having a ball in this and is obviously enjoying the freedom of not being the leading man anymore.
I have seen snotty reviews of this film and all I can say is that it made me laugh from start to finish. Yes, it is puerile, yes it is silly, but it is lots of fun. Just remember to pack your celery.
