ritera1
I have this belief that deep down, we're all living silly lives.And that is not more evident than with creative people. I myself and am an aspiring creative person. Am I any good? That's up for debate.In this we have a guy who has passion for his craft of acting. Passion that eclipses his obvious lack of talent and failings in life. There is a lovable tragedy to all of that, especially since there are so many talented people who can't get anywhere in life 'cause they are devoid of those business and political skills.It makes me think that the human race went totally wrong when they went from satisfying their basic urges and ventured into creativity and thought.But this is well done all around. I personally didn't like the happy ending but I'm sure I would be outvoted by everyone else. (I was looking for the end of Amadeus.) To me, this character was what he was. A lovable failure with a crappy play. Even the character knew that. He did his best and it wasn't good enough for rock 'n' roll. You can't ask for more than a personal best. But that's life, more than not.
Tim Kidner
The idea is a fair one but this first Steve Coogan headlining Hollywood vehicle is almost mis-titled. It should be more like 'Dopey high-school drama teacher attempts to put on a school play', but that's not as snappy and certainly wouldn't have the literates and lovers of the Bard double-checking it.It's not actually THAT bad but as we know Coogan in his more successful and endearing characters, obviously we're going to compare. His accent is uncomfortably thick, if sounding authentic and he just comes across as that worse, embarrassingly nerdy teacher that we all used to love to hate. That was most probably the intention, though but that doesn't really help.Actually, his scenes with wife/partner Katherine Keener almost work best, with their fertility "problems". The kids in school are often not that believable, reacting differently to what's expected. There's almost a parody on films by the likes of Alan Parker, the ones where a mixed ethnic high school has its drama budget completely removed and then it's 'Let's put on a Musical!!'There's some funnier comedy when recovering alcoholic Dana Marschz (Coogan) falls off the wagon and goes amok. But his constant pratfalls get wearisome and when that extends to vocal ones, those are painful.Finally, the play goes ahead and this bit comes across quite well, with Coogan as Christ on a rope and this raises my score from 4 to 5/10, but I'm afraid I cannot extend to 6.Hamlet, whether 2 or 52, it never is. Take it as it actually is and it stands a better chance.
dunmore_ego
"Madness in great ones must not unwatch'd go." --Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act III, Scene I.It's blasphemous and filthy and irreverent. And hilarious.HAMLET 2 is GREASE slipping on the banana peel of Jesus Christ SUPERSTAR; a ripping satire on "inspirational teacher" films of all stripes, from DANGEROUS MINDS to DEAD POET'S SOCIETY.Steve Coogan (one of the most underrated comedians in film today) is Dana Marschz, high school drama teacher and wannabe thespian, who takes his art quite seriously - "To act is to live" - but finds his career spiraling down a drain of bit parts and herpes commercials.He lives with wife, Brie (Catherine Keener), and their roommate, Gary (David Arquette, in an obtuse role where Gary's only purpose is to steal Dana's wife and give Dana the second act rock bottom moment, "I lost my job! My wife left me!"...).His two star milky-white W.A.S.P. students, Rand (Skylar Astin) and Epiphany (Phoebe Strole, a junior Elisabeth Shue) are shocked when Dana's drama class inherits a group of seemingly underprivileged Mexican students.With this ragtag band of first-time actors, Dana doggedly starts rejuvenating and resurrecting the school's drama department, through the adversity of the drama budget being cancelled, his wife leaving him, and writing and producing his masterwork, HAMLET 2, a sequel to The Bard's immortal play. Dana's bizarre reimagining of HAMLET serves as a catharsis for Dana's father issues.Of Dana's class, the most foreboding gangsta of the bunch, Octavio (Joseph Julian Soria), turns out to be a powerful young actor with a searing sexuality, which Dana is shocked to discover, as are we the audience. This is the first cliché to be tipped on its head, with hilarious results: When Octavio's father (Marco Rodriguez) forbids Octavio to take part in Dana's play, it is not because he does not want him doing something creative - it is because he does not want Shakespeare's play sullied with a sequel! Whereas Dana thought Octavo's father would be a poor, ignorant Mexican who needed a talking to, he meets a rich author who gives him salient reasons why HAMLET 2 is a ridiculous idea.Dana actually meets the real Elisabeth Shue (as herself), sick of acting and working as a nurse. Being an inspiration of Dana's, Shue enters the fold as his Muse. Amy Poehler kills again in a small role, as a lawyer willing to sue anyone who gets in Dana's way of staging his magnum opus...Hamlet uses a time machine to go back and save everyone from dying, somehow hooking up with Jesus along the way.Play opens with the song, Raped in the Face, a favorite line of Dana's on how he feels most of the time. Then the boppy blasphemy of the title song, Rock Me, Sexy Jesus, where just the sight of Coogan as dancing Jesus in tight blue jeans and white wife-beater is enough to turn anyone Hindu."But the guy's got lats that make me feel gay." Coogan never says a word during this GREASE-ian song and dance number, "And he's got a swimmer's bod like nobody do," yet the moonwalking on water and The Crane as he "kicks Satan's ass" is priceless.When Hamlet tells Laertes of his time-travel plan, Rand (playing Laertes) utters the closest thing to a Shakespeare line, in an over-enunciated delivery that bears forbidden fruit covered in goat cheese: "Your madness must not unwatched go!" Written by Andrew Fleming and Pam Brady (of SOUTH PARK) and directed by Fleming, HAMLET 2 hits some poignant thematic notes in the final act of Dana's HAMLET 2, with everyone being saved (Gertrude, Laertes, Ophelia) and Jesus advising Hamlet on forgiving his father, as Jesus must forgive his.By the time the real Albuquerque Gay Men's Choir is performing Elton's Someone Saved My Life Tonight, we're choking up in a powerful climax, where Hamlet gets the chance to say "Father, I forgive you!" to a ghostly image; with Jesus descending from the rafters on a cable, Coogan tragically lamenting, "Father, I forgive you... I forgive you." Though this be madness, yet there is method in't. And this madness must not unwatched go...
