If there was ever a bigger disappointment in the world of comedies, I would like to know. South Park alum Pam Brady and “Dick” director Andrew Fleming gave much promise with the hilarious trailers for “Hamlet 2” but sometimes we forget, trailers are usually a compilation of the best parts of the film. That proved to be the case for this half-hearted attempt at slapstick comedy.
High school drama teacher Dana Marschz (Coogan) is a former actor and never was much of one at that. When he learns that the school is canceling the drama class, which has failed to put on a successful play in years, he decides it is up to him to write the best play the school has ever seen. Fortunately, for the sake of comedy in this movie, he does. He calls his original work “Hamlet 2,” the sequel to Shakespeare’s famous tragedy in which all the main characters die at the end. When he shows the script to his pot-dealing wife Brie (Keener) she asks the question you are all thinking, how can there be a sequel if everyone died? Well, of course, there is a time machine. As the play begins it’s various stages of unprofessional production, problems arise. When it is learned that the lord himself will be making an appearance in the play, singing songs titled “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” and “Raped in the Face,” activists from all over begin to protest the play. However with the help of lawyer Cricket Feldstein (Amy Poehler), they hope to execute their first amendment right and move on with the show.
Fortunately for this film, the show did go on. The musical numbers may very well be the only salvageable parts of the film, which hangs on by a very thin thread. Call me sick but a song where a bunch of high schoolers and Jesus yell “raped in the face” is very entertaining to me. Don’t be fooled by the preview, Elisabeth Shue fans, stay away. She is barely used in this film and when she is, it’s for a cheap laugh at best. David Arquette fans, two things, he’s barely in it and why the hell are you David Arquette fans?
When it’s all said and thankfully done, I can honestly say buying ten double cheeseburgers at McDonalds is a better purchase with your ten bucks, and it might possibly be better for your health. I was in a way depressed when I left the theater. Such a promising premise gone to waste by untalented writing. Oh well, all of us here still think you’re one hilarious guy, Steve Coogan. So we’ll let this one slide.