Hamlet II: Surprisingly Not Terrible

I didn't want to see Hamlet 2 on the big screen. The main reason is that this movie was just horribly marketed. The trailer was misleading: it focused on the actual stage production "Hamlet 2" (the play within the movie), overselling the song "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" (a musical theater anthem in the mold of Grease), which is not funny out of context; it highlighted Amy Poehler as if she had a major role (P.S. "You can't touch me, I'm married to a Jew," is not only not funny, but I have no idea why they think it would be funny, and definitely not trailer-worthy); Finally the trailer mentions that the movie was from one of the creators of South Park movie (clue: not Trey or Matt). So why would this deserve $10 of my hard earned cash? Nevertheless, I like Coogan, and so I didn't want to write it off completely.

Fortunately, there's a place for movies like this (thanks, Netflix). And good thing, too, because I would never have seen it otherwise. I can tell you in good faith that the trailer was wrong -- it was a decent comedy. But in today's world, where maybe two or three good comedies are made every year, that's high praise.

It's one part Waiting For Guffman and one part School of Rock, but not as funny as either. Steve Coogan plays Dana, a failed actor (we see his hilariously bad commercial work in the film's prologue, a la Tropic Thunder) who becomes a high school theater teacher in Tuscon, Arizona. He's got two dorky acolytes who worship him and an 11-year old nemesis who writes extremely articulate, but crushing reviews of his plays, which mostly consist of stage replications of Hollywood movies (he does to Erin Brockovich what Corky does to Backdraft). The other members of his class are thugs who aren't really interested in theater, but chose to sign up because of some administrative inconvenience. He goes home to a hateful wife, played by Catherine Keener,* who he seems to adore despite the way she treats him. It's a "rooting for the sad-sack" story.

The film follows Dana's attempt to write and produce a huge show that will change the school's decision to cut funding for the theater department. It ends up spiraling way out of control because of its obscene content, and the community tries to shut it down; meanwhile the ACLU pops up out of the woodwork to make sure it goes on. What's the big deal? "Rock Me Sexy Jesus" is the one you know about. But what you didn't see in trailer was the number about getting "raped in the face." Needless to say, there's tons of irreligious, bathroom, and sexual humor, and Coogan shows a delightful aptitude for slapstick. We don't really get to see the whole show, but it's very similar to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure: Hamlet goes back in time to prevent everyone from getting killed, meeting Jesus, Einstein, and some others along the way. There's a light-sabre battle. But really the whole thing is about Dana's relationship with his father. It's a little touching. Just a little.

In the end, it hits all the right notes -- it's feel good, the protagonist is both ridiculous and sympathetic, and though derivative, it offers its own special kind of funny. it's not Shakespeare, but it's worth a watch. B+

*I wonder if it bothers Catherine Keener that she has become the main cause of acute misogyny in movie going men aged 18-45. She might be a really nice person, but she has utterly perfected the niche role of "snide, insufferable bitch." 40 Year Old Virgin tried to save her, but other movies keep pulling her back in to play the same character over and over again. Blame Spike Jonze and Neil LaBute, I guess, but I can't even look at her without going flaccid.