MOVIE REVIEW - MacGruber

Action comedies are really in vogue right now. It's a movie format that in today's world can marry a bunch of types of movies with all the benefits of each, with no down time. That's MacGruber.

This of course is based in parody f the of ABC TV show MacGuyver. The old poor mans 24 where our hero would build a grenade out of twine, and spool and some mascara. OK, that may be a slight exaggeration, but at the time was serious, but over time that show has turned into pop-culture trivia. Later MacGruber became the parody on Saturday Night Live starring the same cast then as in in the movie today. Will Forte, Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph. MacGruber also stars Hollywood stars Ryan Phillippe, Powers Boothe and Val Kilmer.

To be really square, the story here really doesn't make one bit of difference. This is simply an SNL bit strung out over about 80 minutes of so. It is also a great example of the fact that if you pay a B-level star (Forte) enough money, he will literally do anything on camera to try to make you laugh. Let's really be honest here. There's a reason it was a 5 minute SNL bit until now. After a few laughs and the parody wears off, it's just tiresome and the countdown is on till the end.

Some of the ongoing jokes here are kind of clever. MacGruber is stuck in some sort of 1980's time warp, as he goes through today's world as are some of his sidekicks, and that's funny. The soundtrack has a bunch of 80's anthems, fun too. But that's where the fun really stops,. and raunchy and just really not funny take over.

Kristin Wiig is pretty funny as the terribly misguided partner that seems to be the fall gal for many of MacGrubers dumb plans. But Will Forte as our hero, has stolen every play from the Will Farrell playbook, and it's not working for Farrell anymore, and it's certainly not going to start up being clever, or creative now.

MacGruber. Honest observation. In a theater of about 75 people, one guy laughed hysterically for the whole show. The rest of us started laughing at him laughing, far more than the movie. That's the deal here I fear. If you are into this, you'll maybe have a real funny night. This will completely miss with others.