| Review:
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Can a frustrated actor who's been resigned to doing
television commercials for herpes meds, breathe new life
into Shakespeare as an overly enthused novice high school
drama teacher relocated to Tucson? And by penning a Hamlet
sequel resuscitating all the dead characters via a time
machine also transporting Jesus, Einstein and Hillary Clinton?
If the irreverent social satire Hamlet 2 has its say with
audiences, those lunatic possibilities may prove just that,
with daring if not shocking humor.***
Hamlet 2 is the daffy brainchild of writer/director
Andrew Fleming (Nancy Drew) who also pushed numerous buttons
with his Watergate farce, Dick, and co-screenwriter Pam
Brady (South Park). As such, the political and scatological
often make for an uneasy mix, at times competing for attention
and a comic tone in search of an anchored identity, though
never for lack of earnestness.***
Steve Coogan is Dana Marschz - Mr. M to his students
- the unfortunate teacher in question and strapped for cash
failed actor, whose only affordable mode of transportation
around town is roller skates. Never mind, his current consuming
ambition in life is to instill in his far from enthused
students a love of drama. Meanwhile, his cranky wife (Catherine
Keener) who's taken in a robotic boarder (David Arquette)
to make ends meet, threatens to go back to dealing drugs
if he doesn't start making more money, when she isn't checking
on her biological clock and dragging him off to an infertility
clinic. There he runs into a staff nurse not only played
by Elizabeth Shue, but who is Elizabeth Shue, having grown
fed up with Hollywood and undergone a radical career switch.***
And while Mr. M frantically composes his revamped Hamlet/Jesus
combo sequel musical, running around the school in a caftan
and minus underwear in order to create an optimum room temperature
for his inadequate reproductive apparatus, the principal
is in his own act of eliminating drama and other arts funding
altogether, due to a budgetary crisis. Not to worry, Mr.
M makes creative use of ever smaller rehearsal spaces the
class is squeezed into, and with a little help from Elizabeth
Shue, including corners of the snack bar and gym. And finally
an abandoned warehouse after Mr. M is tossed off the school
grounds for a possibly obscenity-riddled play, with content
shockers like a sexy Jesus (to be played by Dana himself,
who else) and Satan kissing the US President.***
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Final Words:
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Against all odds, and with aggressive
backup from grouchy ACLU advocate, Cricket Feldstein (Amy
Poehler), the show does indeed go on. Where incredulously,
Mr. M works out his own dad issues on stage and on the sly,
as his Hamlet and Jesus bond over problematic father situations
of their own. Hamlet 2, a tossup depending upon your idea
of funny, between to be or not to be blasphemous, or just
plain wickedly zany. |
