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LARRY
THE CABLE GUY: HEALTH INSPECTOR |
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"Larry The Cable
Guy Admiring His Rod" |
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Directed by Trent Cooper
- Written by Jonathan
Bernstein, James Greer
Starring Larry the Cable
Guy, Megyn Wilson, Joe
Pantoliano, Lisa
Lampanelli
Distributed by Lions
Gate - 2006 - 89mins -
Rated PG13 |
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Richard Propes'
Review
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Git-r-done. |
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Git-r-done.
Did you laugh? Did you even smile? Did you instantly think of Jeff
Foxworthy because you can never actually remember this guy's name?
Did you respond at all?
The answer to this question determines whether or not you should see
"Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector." Okay, it kind of determines
it. The reality is that even diehard fans of "Larry the Cable Guy"
will grow tired of his blue collar, "Git-r-done" approach to comedy by
the time the 89th minute of this essentially one-note comedy rolls
around.
This film is not classic comedy. It is not unique comedy. It is not
inventive, well-written or particularly original comedy. It is "Larry
the Cable Guy" as we've always seen him. The closing credits even
offer repeated sayings of "Git-r-done" said in different, yet
amazingly similar ways.
"Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector" is nothing more than a
showcase for this blue-collar, redneck comic icon whose "Git-r-done"
catchphrase can be found in convenience stores across America on a
wide variety of novelty items. Larry, I don't know his last name and
don't particularly care, has parlayed that one sentence into a career
based upon buttcracks, booze and that good ole' boy mentality that
most of America seemingly identifies with en masse.
Apparently, however, the majority of America isn't quite ready to
parlay this novelty William Hung like fame into a movie career. Sure,
the 20 or so audience members at the film opening night laughed. Heck,
it's hard not to laugh when a good ole' boy is working overtime to
make himself look stupid (and succeeding). It's downright funny at
times.
Stupid. Very stupid.
Still, kinda funny.
Man, why am I craving a Pabst Blue Ribbon right now?
Or a moon pie?
Larry is not an actor. Of course, he's not pretending to be. I admire
that. Any film that titles itself after the lead actor is really being
honest...this ain't about drama folks...it's about laughs. Nothing
more.
The semblance of a storyline evolves around Larry working as a health
inspector. He finds himself in trouble time and time again until he's
assigned a partner, the androgynous looking Amy Butlin (Iris Bahr).
Butlin isn't particularly male looking, but I suppose to a good ole'
boy any woman without huge breasts probably doesn't qualify as a real
woman. Larry repeatedly, to the point of exhaustion, refers to Butlin
as a boy...long past the time when he's even acknowledged she's a
girl.
Just plain weird.
The city, headed by Mayor Gunn (Joe Pantoliano), is getting ready for
the All-City Cook-Off, or whatever it was called, yet one-by-one the
finest restaurants in the city fall prey to odd incidents of
unexplained illnesses, etc.
Okay, I'm stopping here with the plot. It's predictable and, to be
honest, completely irrelevant.
This is about Larry the Cable Guy.
He's charming enough here, but the situations are so beyond ludicrous
that it's hard to ever bond with him. In fact, director Trent Cooper
never really allows anything emotional into the film at all.
Everything is essentially staged only for the purpose of another Larry
joke.
Occasionally, these jokes are funny. They never, however, mean
anything.
In supporting performances, Iris Bahr (you've seen her mostly on TV in
shows like "Commander in Chief" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm) is mildly
amusing. Pantoliano throws out a lazy, caricature performance as the
underhanded mayor, and Megyn Price is functional as Jane, Larry's way
too good for him but hopelessly insecure woman.
Of course, any film centered around a "star" inevitably includes
cameos by the star's "celebrity" friends. Larry throws in moments for
Kid Rock and Bruce Bruce, along with a funny yet poorly edited
appearance by comedienne Lisa Lampanelli.
The film itself is remarkably poorly edited, including two visible
deadspots. The end result is nothing more than a film centered around
"Git-r-done" that will quickly lead to getting 'er out of the theatres
rather quickly and onto DVD where the closet Larry fans can rent the
film and snicker in the comfort of their own homes while downing moon
pies and PBR. |
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© Written by Richard Propes -
Email Me! |
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How We Rated This Film
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TC Candler -
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| Richard Propes
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Jacob Hall
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TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob Hall's
Comment
n/a
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