Comedic Conundrum

I don't think I'm inside my own mind today...

In lieu of watching Will Ferrell's latest comedic affair Semi-Pro I can't help but find myself on a bit of a paradoxical train of thought. Comedy, as for many has always been my chosen genre of escapism. Be it the exaggeration, the unreality of it or perhaps just the sheer amount of teenage vulgarity that seems to be seeping into today's movies it's all win in my books. Semi-Pro was not his most stalwart film as far as comedic exploits but it really had all of the needs that I have for a Ferrell comedy hour.

- He was loud, check, he definitely stole the show with merciless scenes of vulgarity and unearned bravado.

- He looked funny, check, few actors in Hollywood excel when they look their worst. In Semi-Pro he played another character where redemption seemed improbable. The worst the 70's had to offer as far as style is concerned is Will Ferrell's gain, and ours too.

- He was surrounded by a supporting cast, ehh... This movie had no short sight of co-stars worth of laughs but despite their best efforts, Will Arnett and Andy Richter hardly stand up to Steve Carrell and Paul Rudd, and this movie floundered because of it. If not for a revealing poker game this movie very easily could've drown in the mud (and I'm sure it did in some of your eyes.)

My point is, and always has been, that if Will Ferrell wasn't making comedies that force us to shake our head with jovial embarrassment or make us laugh at blatant sexism and inequality jokes, perhaps we'd still have to sit through dreadful Rob Schneider and David Spade comedies... (oh god, they're still making movies too though. I actually saw a Rob Schnieder film I kinda wanted to watch today at the movie store. It's probably because he's not the star of it.)

In lieu of countless Ferrell critisism I offer to criticize (and praise) all of today's Comedic Stars in a little game I like to call... Lets Try To Shit On Comedic Actors!

Will Ferrell: Sure, he brought us some comedic gold in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Talledegah Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby but lets face it, those movies surrounded him with likable, funny characters that helped spread the comedic joy around. Will Ferrell proved to me during his stalwart stint on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Zoolander and with small appearances in movies like Starsky and Hutch and Wedding Crashers that he has shameless comedic range that he has no problem utilizing for ultimate laughter. However, forgettable comedies like Kicking and Screaming, Blades of Glory and the aforementioned Semi-Pro, its as if Hollywood wants to literally allow Will Ferrell to scream himself into an early comedic hiatus. He's big, he's hairy, he screams, he throws tantrums and he likes to show off his hairy body, I get it... but he's funnier than that.

His characters are modestly similar, as with most comedic staples, Will Ferrell definitely enjoys playing a character who makes the most out of his situation with lavish parties, expensive wives and homes, flaunting his hairy body wherever he can, he usually plays characters whose motivations are so inane you stop and wonder for a moment if you could imagine anyone so ridiculous and chances are you may know a person or two who shares a bit in common with Ron Burgundy. When he's forced to hold his own fort he resorts to shouting, being larger and louder than anyone else on screen, even Robert Duvall couldn't manage to be an interesting co-star. There is only John C. Reilly that has managed to find a duality to Mr. Ferell's madness but Will is really only one or two 'shouters' away from being shunned all together. Thankfully he manages to pull a rabbit out of his hat once a year to remind us why he's king of the mountain, in my opinion.

My Medicine: Keep milking comedies with him and John C. Reilly that combination is a winner as we're due to see in this summers Step Brothers. Unless you're going to put a supporting cast of unique, peculiar characters to bring a calm to Ferrell's relentless verbal assaults its only a matter of time before we start hoping Adam Sandler gets good again! (Please god do not let it come to that!!!)

Ben Stiller: He's graced our screens enough to earn the utmost disdain from some of us, yet the 90's hasn't stopped Ben Stiller and he's still bringing us movies that entertain, at least they make me laugh. Movies like Zoolander, Starsky and Hutch and Mystery Men instantly come to mind as movies that have made me laugh until my sides are splitting in agony. He is probably the most fearless comedic actor in Hollywood as he will never hesitate to do whatever is necessary to try and get a laugh out of an audience. However, his neanderthals approach to comedy has earned him as much disdain as it has praise. Whenever I see the end scene of Starsky and Hutch, and he starts to repeat "Do it." over and over again, it's absurd, it's annoying, it probably makes you cringe but it makes me chuckle.

In the upcoming Tropic Thunder it's joked that Ben Stiller's character became famous for acting as a retarded man in a movie that earned him acclaim. Be damned if he isn't either making fun of us for buying into this time and again or if he's really so fearless as to identify with what has continued to bring him paychecks for the past decade. Dodgeball we saw him play the owner of a gym franchise that was hellbent on bringing down "Average Joe's" to absorb it into his franchise via, tearing the building down to build a parking complex for his gym. His 'retarded' characters are what always get the laughs from me but its a concept he's beaten into the ground, I'm betting on Tropic Thunder continuing this trend. I've always spurned Stiller for his friendly, chic comedies that he's made, in the There's Something About Marry, Duplex, Along Came Polly cattegory, and its another genre of comedy he happens to be a hit but probably where he earns the greatest disdain from me, particularly because it's a style that Adam Sandler has failed to emulate since Big Daddy.

My Medicine: I like the movies that Ben Stiller plays stupid characters that are so self-involved. Its the way he does it, that makes his characters hilariously un-likable that really draws me in. He's best when he's opposite Owen Wilson, Zoolander and Starsky & Hutch showed us that. They need to do another buddy comedy together, now! Get him in a movie with Paul Rudd and I bet there would be some magic, and some much deserved stardom for Mr. Rudd.

Vince Vaughn: The movie Swingers opened the door to a new comedic star, but it wasn't really until Old School came out that Vince Vaughn started opening eyes as a funny man. His unstoppable ability to generate babble makes him unstoppable. He is the sophisticated ranter, able to talk himself out of any situation. This is, of all the comedic star archetypes, easily the best to promote yet he still makes these forgettable movies, Fred Claus co-staring Paul Giamatti, what? The Break-Up... that was god awful! Vince! You're killing me here. Here you stand the tallest, brightest star in the comedic world. You could be teaming up with anyone, Luke Wilson, Ferrell, Stiller, hell, you could make a comedy with Rob Schneider and it would probably kick ass! You could literally stand on screen for 90 minutes talking about fuck all and I would probably laugh until my spleen ruptured.

Yet, nothing. You insist on staring with Reese Witherspoon and making Christmas movies? Is that where the paychecks are at? I just hope you're happy making this shit that I'm not going to watch, although my 9 bucks at the cinema or my 5 dollars at the Rental store are not going to sway your life one way or the other, I just wish you'd make something that looked awesome and that I looked forward to seeing.

My Medicine: Get on the Judd Apatow bandwagon, start making some real hilarious movies. This man is producing and making pretty much the best comedies that Hollywood has to offer today, and you being one of the funniest actors in Hollywood, well it only makes sense to me. You would be a worthy catalyst for his creative vigor. Make a movie with Seth Rogen and I think I would be in laughter heaven.

Jim Carrey: Once the king of the fucking castle, he has now completely absconded from the movies that made him famous, made him a name, made him anything to make pretty much whatever he can seem to tolerate in film. I grew up with Liar Liar, The Ace Ventura movies, The Cable Guy, The Mask. There is honestly a huge ballpen of awesome comedies in Carrey's vault but no, that is not what he is about anymore. He's made some cool movies. The Majestic was probably the beginning of this trend, movies like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Number 23 continue this trend of, okay but ultimately un-funny movies. I dig that he's got a serious side. Robin Williams has a serious side but we all love him! Why not Jim?

Because Jim, you're not as good an actor as Robin Williams, you're wacky, you're zany, you're off the charts and thats where you should've stayed. I could only imagine in my mind the kind of lunacy that would emerge if we saw Jim Carrey cutting loose on Ben Stiller, Will Ferrell or even Adam Sandler comedies, if it's an ego thing Jim, that's okay. You can have your own soap box, i'm sure you've got the kind of pull that if you walked up to Judd Apatow and said "Make me funny again" we would have something on our hands other than Bruce Almighty to treasure. I know you have it in you now stop dicking yourself around unless making movies that people will just wish were comedies is your bag, then power to you.

My Medicine: I think that a Robin Williams/Jim Carrey comedy would be relentless, the two of them off the hook for 100 minutes, god only knows what kind of comedic chaos would ensue. A real up-lifting father/son bonding comedy, I think we'd have a serious winner at our hands and even more so. We'd get to see two of the treasures of the 90's make a funny movie that wouldn't involve cross dressing or penis jokes, (but you can throw the penis jokes in there too!)

Adam Sandler: I dont know what to think about you Adam Sandler, you can be funny, once and a while but you're pretty much the Dane Cook of the comedic Hollywood scene. You're not funny but you've got a few jokes on your belt so you've decided you can hang with the big dogs. Let's not be too modest now, Happy Gilmore was a complete winner and the fight scene with Bob Barker will always go down as one of the funniest things ever. But really, how many different movies can Rob Schnieder say "you can do it!" while earnestly impersonating a minority and how many times can you beat the dead horse? Until it's well into decomposition as far as these two are concerned.

Who would've thought you'd be a diamond in the rough dramatically? Click was strong because Sandler's dramatic strengths pretty much outweigh any Comedic flaws he has, its the reason he's been making movies as long as he has. His best movies are Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me. Trying to find a middle ground between those movies sensibilities and the comedic staples that have created your fan base is completely impossible. Now, Judd Apatow has chosen you his avatar of comedic stardom, and that begins with You Don't Mess with the Zohan. A movie where he plays a Mossad agent who has faked his own death to re-emerge in The Big Apple as a hair stylist. This movie just seems a bit too Bruno to me, and I think Sacha Baron Cohen has the patent on this idea. His movie will be better than yours except now anyone who has had the misfortune of not watching The Ali G Show will be under the impression that his idea is like yours. Don't pretend it won't happen, I know it will and it will piss me off.

My Medicine: Both Jim Carrey and Robin Williams fearlessly dove into the drama genre which embraced them with open arms, it has done the same for you yet you stubbornly try to create a win-win situation for yourself where you can get the best of both worlds. I do believe that Zohan will be the funniest movie you've made for a while, but I don't believe it will be any good. I think Co-Starring with somebody who isn't Kevin James(not to discredit the King of Queens but...) you might have a winner on your hands. Don't be afraid to jump into the world of drama's. Your empathetic everyman sensibilities make you a good anchor for a sad story. It's why you were good in Punch Drunk Love and Reign Over Me. If you insist on making more comedy than you need to make movies that you aren't trying to be the vocal funny point because if anything been proven in the past 5 years its that movies that attack from all over the humor spectrum are the movies that get quoted relentlessly, and are generally well-recieved. Your one-trick movies have never accomplished that short of... "The price is wrong, bitch.", and we got tired of it around 50 First Dates.

Anyway, I guess I wasn't as relentless as I'd hoped but at the very least, there's my rant on Hollywood's comedy situation. I think that its in safe hands with the stars of today, as well as funny-men like Steve Carrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Michael Cera, Jonah Hill, and Will Arnett that will most likely be spear-heading the comedic scene in a matter of years ensures that we will be chuckling long into the 2010's and that makes me smile.

Until next time, go rent a comedy and take a load off.

Peace!