MacGruber

Films based Saturday Night Live skits have a terrible reputation, and rightfully so. The only ones I can think of with a positive legacy are the Wayne’s World duology, which are even questionable at times. Enter MacGruber, the MacGyver satire with Will Forte playing a self-indulgent decorated war hero who couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag. The skit isn’t even one of the strongest in the current SNL lineup yet somehow it found its way to the big screen.

There is really no way that any critic or casual viewer could give this film high marks. The plotline flip-flopped too often between an attempt at quality action and schoolboy humor. The humor was definitely there, however the minutes that passed between each laugh made it tough to enjoy. The script could have definitely used some tightening up. The action was basically just some below average fight choreography teamed up with explosions. Not to mention some unnecessarily gory throat rips that were more gruesome than funny.

The main positive in MacGruber comes from the cast, which consisted of half SNL cast members and half film regulars. Will Forte and ­­­­­­Kristen Wiig play the two leads in a surprisingly well-done transition from the static characters they portray on television to big screen players. I’d be interested to see both of them, particularly ­­Wiig, in more films in the near future.

In regard to the seasoned actors, Ryan Phillipe was good but didn’t steal the show and Val Kilmer was fine. He was funny at times, and I’m glad to see Kilmer back on the job. Director Jorma Taccone, one third of the comedy trio The Lonely Island, directed the film and I would have to position it as a misstep. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here. Unfortunately, the probable lack of box office revenue the film will bring in may limit his next project, but you never know.

So, it seems that MacGruber was a transitional film for almost everyone involved. The actors, director and others could probably do better, although Forte shows he is quite talented with a stick of celery. (6.2 out of 10)