2008 Woodie Awards
Be Kind DON'T Rewind
Ivan Garcia
Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: Entertainment
Don't be fooled. A movie with the promised antics of Jack Black may sound tempting, but this is one comedy that doesn't fulfill its intended purpose.
Jerry (Jack Black) is a junkyard worker who attempts to destroy an electrical plant that he believes is reading his mind. But when his plan goes sour, his magnetized body ends up erasing all the tapes in his friend Mike's (Dante 'Mos Def' Smith) video store, conveniently named Be Kind Rewind.
With a store full of blank videotapes, Jerry and Mike embark on a not-so adventurous journey to remake some of the most memorable movies of our time. The ironic idea in this disappointing movie is that some of the best and most memorable movies are being remade, which just begs you to ask yourself the question: Why aren't I watching those movies right now?
Considering this is a comedy, I found myself NOT laughing 90% of the time. Don't get me wrong, the remakes that the protagonists made were amateurishly comedic, but the entire movie just failed to move the audience emotionally.
The remade movies, although humorous, failed to be consistent and plentiful enough to act as a driving force in the film. While Jack Black's performance was usual Jack Black as always, Mos Def came across as a little slow and boring, and that is definitely something that comedies are not about.
With somewhat bland characters and an even duller story, "Be Kind Rewind" fails to hook the audience with its scarcity of laughter. Chances are you'd be better off staying at home and listening to your Tenacious D CDs.
Jerry (Jack Black) is a junkyard worker who attempts to destroy an electrical plant that he believes is reading his mind. But when his plan goes sour, his magnetized body ends up erasing all the tapes in his friend Mike's (Dante 'Mos Def' Smith) video store, conveniently named Be Kind Rewind.
With a store full of blank videotapes, Jerry and Mike embark on a not-so adventurous journey to remake some of the most memorable movies of our time. The ironic idea in this disappointing movie is that some of the best and most memorable movies are being remade, which just begs you to ask yourself the question: Why aren't I watching those movies right now?
Considering this is a comedy, I found myself NOT laughing 90% of the time. Don't get me wrong, the remakes that the protagonists made were amateurishly comedic, but the entire movie just failed to move the audience emotionally.
The remade movies, although humorous, failed to be consistent and plentiful enough to act as a driving force in the film. While Jack Black's performance was usual Jack Black as always, Mos Def came across as a little slow and boring, and that is definitely something that comedies are not about.
With somewhat bland characters and an even duller story, "Be Kind Rewind" fails to hook the audience with its scarcity of laughter. Chances are you'd be better off staying at home and listening to your Tenacious D CDs.
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