Hamlet 2
United States, 2008Directed By: Andrew Fleming
Written By: Pam Brady & Andrew Fleming
Starring: Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette, Amy Poehler, Elizabeth Shue
Running Time: 92 minutes
Rated R for language including sexual references, brief nudity and some drug content
3.5 out of 5 stars
Hamlet 2 begins with a series of cable-access commercials all starring Steve Coogan’s character, washed-up actor Dana Marschz, while Peter O’Toole, in a tone perfectly suited to a death-bed confession, waxes philosophical on the actor’s craft. It’s an odd mix, seeing Coogan grinning like a tortured Cheshire cat in a herpes ad while Lawrence of Arabia attempts his best James Lipton impersonation. Maintained the entire film, this tone (‘state of mild schizophrenia’ might be more accurate) is a risky decision that is, at the very least, admirable for eschewing the conventional Hollywood comedy equation (Will Ferrell + Random Sport = $$$$$!). Whether you’ll appreciate that decision is entirely dependent on how eccentric your sense of humor is;
Hamlet 2, like
Napoleon Dynamite, is a film that cannot be easily recommended – you either get it or you don’t.