Thursday, April 13, 2006
Review: Scary Movie 4
More successful than even The Naked Gun trilogy, this spoof franchise reaches its fourth installment under the guidance of master of mockery David Zucker. Collaborating with regular screenwriter Pat Proft (and Craig Mazin who also returns for part four) on the third film created a nostalgic experience which was markedly different to that of Keenen Ivory Wayans' first two gross-out comedies. Scary Movie 4 continues the same traditions but also has similar flaws.
The narrative is once again a blend of parody, assembled from elements of The Grudge, War of the Worlds, The Village and Saw, but isn’t as strong as that of Hot Shots: Part Deux or even Mafia. Both those films were directed by Jim Abrahams who joins Pat Proft on script duty here. I’m certain Abrahams' contribution helped to create the half-decent narrative and to blend the very different styles (horror and science fiction) which proved so uneven in Scary Movie 3. Thankfully there are also few exception where the theme deviates. Unlike the extended 8 Mile parody which had no place in a movie carrying the title Scary Movie, this fourth film is faithful to its genre roots with the exception of a lamentable digression to parody Brokeback Mountain. Zucker creates a tone that allows the shock moments to play in a similar manner to a real horror movie.
It’s a shame I cannot report that this is a return to form for Zucker, Proft and Abrahams. For while all the elements make for an improvement of the third film Scary Movie 4 is still a long way from the finest examples of the form. Like the increasingly lazy Leslie Nielsen spoofs in the late 1990s, there isn’t the rapid-fire humour of past hits. Specifically the sight gags, which proved so integral to earlier films, are few and far between.
There was a time when you would not dare take your eyes from the screen for fear of missing some subtle example of mise-en-scene. A mock advertisement, sign or product. This continued through the closing credits with sporadic jokes and "fun facts" which extended the art of parody into this oft-ignored film convention so that they are an integral part of the film experience. Despite the strengths of these latest Scary Movie films such key attributes prevent this incredibly successful franchise from fulfilling its full potential.
Key to the best parodies has been the casting of non-comedic actors. Such was the diminishing power of Leslie Nielsen’s presence. Anna Faris has been the lead in every Scary Movie thus far, but it is her straight-faced co-stars who sell the legitimacy of the strange reality we are presented with. Craig Bierko takes the male lead as the Tom Cruise-inspired hero of the story. But it is Michael Madsen who steals the movie in one short scene. His typically tormented and demented character so sincere as he delivers ludicrous dialogue. The aforementioned Nielsen also returns, an act of almost obligatory casting that is strangely even more appropriate than usual.
Indebted to Lloyd Bridges portrayal of an incompetent President in Hot Shots! Part Deux, an eerie foreshadow of the Bush mockery growing in popularity in an increasingly jaded public, Nielsen’s typical performance is more appropriate than ever. Reintroduced in a bold parody of the moment Bush learned the country was under attack on September 11th 2001, Nielsen’s presence is not only a strategic bit of casting for this genre icon but also has a real world resonance audiences respond to. In addition Nielsen seems more at ease. In Scary Movie 3 his role, aside Charlie Sheen’s, merely reminded viewers of the superiority of the classics instead of allowing us to engage with their performances.
David Zucker is a master of imitation. Even when jokes are thin on the ground or weak the sheer quality of the homage is jaw dropping. On a fraction of the budget that the films being mocked have, Zucker’s crew flawlessly emulate blockbuster production standards and cinematography. Of particular not is a one of the War of the Worlds inspired basement scenes. The screen takes on a cold blue tint which is not only a slight but powerful nuance to the production but also enhances the humour which comes out of the scene, one of the most powerful in Spielberg’s film.
More successful than even The Naked Gun trilogy, this spoof franchise reaches its fourth installment under the guidance of master of mockery David Zucker. Collaborating with regular screenwriter Pat Proft (and Craig Mazin who also returns for part four) on the third film created a nostalgic experience which was markedly different to that of Keenen Ivory Wayans' first two gross-out comedies. Scary Movie 4 continues the same traditions but also has similar flaws.
The narrative is once again a blend of parody, assembled from elements of The Grudge, War of the Worlds, The Village and Saw, but isn’t as strong as that of Hot Shots: Part Deux or even Mafia. Both those films were directed by Jim Abrahams who joins Pat Proft on script duty here. I’m certain Abrahams' contribution helped to create the half-decent narrative and to blend the very different styles (horror and science fiction) which proved so uneven in Scary Movie 3. Thankfully there are also few exception where the theme deviates. Unlike the extended 8 Mile parody which had no place in a movie carrying the title Scary Movie, this fourth film is faithful to its genre roots with the exception of a lamentable digression to parody Brokeback Mountain. Zucker creates a tone that allows the shock moments to play in a similar manner to a real horror movie.
It’s a shame I cannot report that this is a return to form for Zucker, Proft and Abrahams. For while all the elements make for an improvement of the third film Scary Movie 4 is still a long way from the finest examples of the form. Like the increasingly lazy Leslie Nielsen spoofs in the late 1990s, there isn’t the rapid-fire humour of past hits. Specifically the sight gags, which proved so integral to earlier films, are few and far between.
There was a time when you would not dare take your eyes from the screen for fear of missing some subtle example of mise-en-scene. A mock advertisement, sign or product. This continued through the closing credits with sporadic jokes and "fun facts" which extended the art of parody into this oft-ignored film convention so that they are an integral part of the film experience. Despite the strengths of these latest Scary Movie films such key attributes prevent this incredibly successful franchise from fulfilling its full potential.
Key to the best parodies has been the casting of non-comedic actors. Such was the diminishing power of Leslie Nielsen’s presence. Anna Faris has been the lead in every Scary Movie thus far, but it is her straight-faced co-stars who sell the legitimacy of the strange reality we are presented with. Craig Bierko takes the male lead as the Tom Cruise-inspired hero of the story. But it is Michael Madsen who steals the movie in one short scene. His typically tormented and demented character so sincere as he delivers ludicrous dialogue. The aforementioned Nielsen also returns, an act of almost obligatory casting that is strangely even more appropriate than usual.
Indebted to Lloyd Bridges portrayal of an incompetent President in Hot Shots! Part Deux, an eerie foreshadow of the Bush mockery growing in popularity in an increasingly jaded public, Nielsen’s typical performance is more appropriate than ever. Reintroduced in a bold parody of the moment Bush learned the country was under attack on September 11th 2001, Nielsen’s presence is not only a strategic bit of casting for this genre icon but also has a real world resonance audiences respond to. In addition Nielsen seems more at ease. In Scary Movie 3 his role, aside Charlie Sheen’s, merely reminded viewers of the superiority of the classics instead of allowing us to engage with their performances.
David Zucker is a master of imitation. Even when jokes are thin on the ground or weak the sheer quality of the homage is jaw dropping. On a fraction of the budget that the films being mocked have, Zucker’s crew flawlessly emulate blockbuster production standards and cinematography. Of particular not is a one of the War of the Worlds inspired basement scenes. The screen takes on a cold blue tint which is not only a slight but powerful nuance to the production but also enhances the humour which comes out of the scene, one of the most powerful in Spielberg’s film.
# posted by Richard Hawes @ 4:51 AM 
