Post by alquackskey on Sept 3, 2021 17:57:52 GMT
Now, on to Gus!
Prior to watching the film, I had next to no knowledge of it - the only reason I was aware of its existence at all was because Gus himself appears as a mount in Disney Infinity.
Given the premise, my expectations were pretty low; I thought I'd get a laugh out of it, but I didn't think I'd really like the film all that much.
And, to be honest, I wasn't far off.
As per usual, it carries some of the issues of its era - it's not a hateful movie, but it still carries some unfortunate stereotyping.
Thankfully, unlike some other films, it's pretty mundane in those regards - it's not so much the case that they were making liberal use of specific offensive caricatures; it's more the case that they picked some "foreigner" stereotypes, then threw a dart to pick which country they'd use.
That's still an issue in itself, but it also takes some of the weight away from it - the likes of Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp, for example, both portray specific offensive depictions of certain races - they may not necessarily be hateful, but they target specific groups with harmful stereotypes that have been used in the 'othering' of specific groups for years.
This film, in contrast, doesn't really do that - the film does make use of some stereotypes or clichés, but they're applied to the "foreigner" group. It's not the kind of stuff that would come to anyone's mind when "offensive depictions of Yugoslavian people" is brought up; as such, it carries that vibe of being vaguely racist in places, but not having enough to it to be worth caring about.
The romance is also very forced - it's not the worst, by any means, but it really feels unnecessary.
To the film's credit, Debbie does have a decent amount to do; she saves the day at a few crucial points, and she doesn't solely exist as the love interest.
That being said, it is her primary focus in the film.
Again, it really feels like a lot of her presence was solely so that Andy could 'get the girl' - which was pretty typical around that time.
Like with the above example, the problematic elements in this one just feel vague - there's enough effort put in to give Debbie a sense of agency, but the underlying idea that she mainly exists as Andy's love interest is pretty hard not to notice.
I'll also say that the film does kind of drag a bit - in some cases, it's a brick joke that takes a long time to set up (And, admittedly, in some of those cases, is absolutely worth the wait), but there's a scene towards the end of the film where Gus is in the supermarket with two men trying to capture him. It goes on for far too long, and the comedy just isn't strong enough to justify it.
It's not to an unwatchable degree or anything, but I'll admit that there were a few spots that started to bore me - and, unlike many of the other films so far, it didn't feel like it was building up to anything important. In most cases, it wasn't.
That being said, there's still a lot to love with this film.
Don Knotts and Tim Conway both appear again - though, sadly, they're not a duo this time.
Conway is part of a different duo, but the chemistry just isn't present in the way that it was in The Apple Dumpling Gang; as a result, while the two criminal lackeys in this one are okay, they don't really manage to move past that.
Knotts is one of the most memorable characters in the film; he plays the team's awkward coach, who does his best to boost morale for the worst team around.
Whereas a lot of the film is pretty empty, his character as a whole feels weirdly sincere - Knotts' brilliant delivery allows for some surprisingly genuine emotions. It really feels like his character believes in the team, and believes that they can win.
One running gag that really stood out to me was that, for most of the film, he wasn't very fond of Gus' presence. He also wasn't happy with the claims that the team was only winning because of Gus - the film doesn't really delve into it very much, but it adds a lot of depth to his character; he wants the team to be supported and praised for their own victories, not those of a mule.
Plus, as I mentioned above, there are several brick jokes or Chekhov's Gun moments that are surprisingly effective.
I won't delve into too many of them, but there's one that really makes its mark:
The film has a surprising amount of details like these - either minor details or gags that come back in pretty interesting ways; sometimes it takes a frustratingly long time to get there, but the results are usually worth it.
And, of course, the star of the show himself - Gus is absolutely hilarious.
It's made clear that he's quite intelligent; he makes some conscious decisions through the film, and it's clear that he's not just an animal that has a good kick.
He's brimming with character, and steals every scene he appears in - not a knock to anyone else, but he really is the best character in the movie.
Despite being a mule, you get such a clear character from him - he's something of a trickster, possibly even spiteful. He doesn't like certain people, and will try to, if nothing else, inconvenience them in some way, even when it's not necessarily in his best interests to do so. He's also extremely loyal to Andy; he does what he can to help him out, and he very much treats himself and Andy as a package deal (Hence why, for the most part, he will not kick the ball without Andy's say-so).
So, all in all, it's an okay film.
It has some genuine highlights - particularly the performances of Gus and Don Knotts, as well as some other scattered gems - but the film itself isn't all that great.
It just doesn't really feel like it wants to do or say anything; the entirety of the film's appeal lies in the absurdity of the premise; if you can't maintain an enjoyment for the film based on that, there's not much else carrying it.
I'd recommend it for Gus alone, but I'd totally understand if people didn't enjoy it.
Next up is The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men!
Prior to watching the film, I had next to no knowledge of it - the only reason I was aware of its existence at all was because Gus himself appears as a mount in Disney Infinity.
Given the premise, my expectations were pretty low; I thought I'd get a laugh out of it, but I didn't think I'd really like the film all that much.
And, to be honest, I wasn't far off.
As per usual, it carries some of the issues of its era - it's not a hateful movie, but it still carries some unfortunate stereotyping.
Thankfully, unlike some other films, it's pretty mundane in those regards - it's not so much the case that they were making liberal use of specific offensive caricatures; it's more the case that they picked some "foreigner" stereotypes, then threw a dart to pick which country they'd use.
That's still an issue in itself, but it also takes some of the weight away from it - the likes of Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp, for example, both portray specific offensive depictions of certain races - they may not necessarily be hateful, but they target specific groups with harmful stereotypes that have been used in the 'othering' of specific groups for years.
This film, in contrast, doesn't really do that - the film does make use of some stereotypes or clichés, but they're applied to the "foreigner" group. It's not the kind of stuff that would come to anyone's mind when "offensive depictions of Yugoslavian people" is brought up; as such, it carries that vibe of being vaguely racist in places, but not having enough to it to be worth caring about.
The romance is also very forced - it's not the worst, by any means, but it really feels unnecessary.
To the film's credit, Debbie does have a decent amount to do; she saves the day at a few crucial points, and she doesn't solely exist as the love interest.
That being said, it is her primary focus in the film.
Again, it really feels like a lot of her presence was solely so that Andy could 'get the girl' - which was pretty typical around that time.
Like with the above example, the problematic elements in this one just feel vague - there's enough effort put in to give Debbie a sense of agency, but the underlying idea that she mainly exists as Andy's love interest is pretty hard not to notice.
I'll also say that the film does kind of drag a bit - in some cases, it's a brick joke that takes a long time to set up (And, admittedly, in some of those cases, is absolutely worth the wait), but there's a scene towards the end of the film where Gus is in the supermarket with two men trying to capture him. It goes on for far too long, and the comedy just isn't strong enough to justify it.
It's not to an unwatchable degree or anything, but I'll admit that there were a few spots that started to bore me - and, unlike many of the other films so far, it didn't feel like it was building up to anything important. In most cases, it wasn't.
That being said, there's still a lot to love with this film.
Don Knotts and Tim Conway both appear again - though, sadly, they're not a duo this time.
Conway is part of a different duo, but the chemistry just isn't present in the way that it was in The Apple Dumpling Gang; as a result, while the two criminal lackeys in this one are okay, they don't really manage to move past that.
Knotts is one of the most memorable characters in the film; he plays the team's awkward coach, who does his best to boost morale for the worst team around.
Whereas a lot of the film is pretty empty, his character as a whole feels weirdly sincere - Knotts' brilliant delivery allows for some surprisingly genuine emotions. It really feels like his character believes in the team, and believes that they can win.
One running gag that really stood out to me was that, for most of the film, he wasn't very fond of Gus' presence. He also wasn't happy with the claims that the team was only winning because of Gus - the film doesn't really delve into it very much, but it adds a lot of depth to his character; he wants the team to be supported and praised for their own victories, not those of a mule.
Plus, as I mentioned above, there are several brick jokes or Chekhov's Gun moments that are surprisingly effective.
I won't delve into too many of them, but there's one that really makes its mark:
Throughout the film, there are two presenters for the games - Johnny Unitas (Not someone I'm familiar with, but apparently a big name) and Pepper. Pepper is obnoxious and doesn't allow Johnny to get a word in - there's the occasional jab against him, but for the most part he doesn't really face any consequences for his attitude.
At the end of the film, however, he gets his comeuppance - he's so shocked by multiple twists in the final game that he loses the ability to speak. Johnny takes over, and the catharsis is glorious; he makes jokes at Pepper's expense, gives a much less obnoxious commentary... as long as the gag goes on for, the payoff is absolutely worth the wait.
At the end of the film, however, he gets his comeuppance - he's so shocked by multiple twists in the final game that he loses the ability to speak. Johnny takes over, and the catharsis is glorious; he makes jokes at Pepper's expense, gives a much less obnoxious commentary... as long as the gag goes on for, the payoff is absolutely worth the wait.
The film has a surprising amount of details like these - either minor details or gags that come back in pretty interesting ways; sometimes it takes a frustratingly long time to get there, but the results are usually worth it.
And, of course, the star of the show himself - Gus is absolutely hilarious.
It's made clear that he's quite intelligent; he makes some conscious decisions through the film, and it's clear that he's not just an animal that has a good kick.
I also need to say that he's an absolute bro - in multiple situations, he purposefully manipulates things to bring about a better outcome for Andy. When Debbie tells Andy that she has a date with someone else, Gus fakes being sick so that she'll stay and spend time with Andy, which kickstarts their romance. Likewise, at the end of the film, he flubs the final shot, knowing that Andy will be able to run through the mud and win the game - which Debbie calls Gus out on. His wink at the end cracks me up.
He's brimming with character, and steals every scene he appears in - not a knock to anyone else, but he really is the best character in the movie.
Despite being a mule, you get such a clear character from him - he's something of a trickster, possibly even spiteful. He doesn't like certain people, and will try to, if nothing else, inconvenience them in some way, even when it's not necessarily in his best interests to do so. He's also extremely loyal to Andy; he does what he can to help him out, and he very much treats himself and Andy as a package deal (Hence why, for the most part, he will not kick the ball without Andy's say-so).
So, all in all, it's an okay film.
It has some genuine highlights - particularly the performances of Gus and Don Knotts, as well as some other scattered gems - but the film itself isn't all that great.
It just doesn't really feel like it wants to do or say anything; the entirety of the film's appeal lies in the absurdity of the premise; if you can't maintain an enjoyment for the film based on that, there's not much else carrying it.
I'd recommend it for Gus alone, but I'd totally understand if people didn't enjoy it.
Next up is The Story of Robin Hood and His Merrie Men!