Could there ever be anything as pointless as a Jack Black film? There’s nothing quite like sitting back and taking in Black’s one-man show. Of course, the problem is that this show usually lasts a little bit longer than it should. Let’s be honest; Jack Black is the eggnog of comedic actors; he’s great in small doses. I’m gonna say the Black factor is good for 45 minutes of entertainment, and then you find yourself getting annoyed by the incessant face-making, guitar playing, and overwrought physical exaggerations. Black’s latest flick, Gulliver’s Travels is another of Black’s one-man shows, set against the backdrop of a classic story, which feels disappointingly not classic in the pudgy hands of this rubber-faced cherub.
Black’s Gulliver is a skulking nobody who works in a mail room. Gulliver has the hots for some mediocre babe, and through his own ineptitude, he winds up taking a job as a travel writer to try and impress her. His new job lands him in the Bermuda Triangle, where he is quickly sucked up into a giant whirlpool. He wakes to find himself among an island of little people named Lilliputians. Gulliver, having never really been anyone of consequence, quickly takes to the idea of being the biggest guy in the world, whereupon he proceeds to dance around like a fool, urinate on people, and shove other unlucky individuals up his ass. In short, Gulliver is a fucking moron.
There are a handful of moments in the film that are worth checking out, but for the most part, Gulliver’s Travels is disposable comedy only capable of entertaining the dim and those who find themselves constantly enamored with Black’s shenanigans. For everyone else, they will find a smattering of laughs littered about the Lilliput landscape. Most of these laughs are actually delivered by Black’s surrounding cast. Chris O’Dowd makes this movie somewhat tolerable as General Edward, a tiny general with a big ego, who seems to be the only person on the island of Lilliput who can tell that Gulliver is an idiot. O’Dowd’s stodgy delivery probably comes off as hilarious because it’s in such stark contrast to Black’s humor, which frequently comes off as trying too hard. Jason Segel’s awkward courtship of the Lilliput princess also deliver a handful of laughs.
Director Rob Letterman’s film is uneven and short. Throughout the film, Gulliver’s size seems to change, and there is never any real consistency in just how giant he is. The backgrounds and interactions between Gulliver and the little people are handled well for the most part, but you’re always aware that you’re watching composite shots and digital machinations, which don’t feel particularly realistic. The biggest flaw in the film is Letterman’s efforts to lengthen the movie. I, and most people, would have been perfectly happy if this film was 75 minutes long, rather than its 85 minute runtime. Those ten minutes that could have been cut include a handful of scenes that are mind-numbingly dumb and one of the worst, most pointless song and dance numbers I’ve ever seen.
There’s not much else to say about a movie about a giant man among a bunch of little people. It’s a thin premise that is fine for today’s poplight culture of inoffensive detritus, but as far as being a version of a classic satirical work from 1700’s England, Black’s Gulliver’s Travels is decidedly without theme or meaning. It’s basically a stand-up routine centered around a premise… then the musical number at the end of the film kicks in and you realize it’s a tool devised to get people to shoot themselves in movie theaters.
Final Synopsis: You could sit through this, I guess. There’s no real reason to, but you could do it. I say skip it.
Points Lost: -2 for the musical number at the end of the film -1 for too much Jack Black, -1 for being ridiculously pointless, -1 for a last half-hour that is rather unimpressive, -1 for calling itself Gulliver’s Travels, but lacking any sort of satirical imprint
Lesson Learned: Jack Black is only funny in bit parts.
Burning Question: How do the Lilliputians react when Gulliver takes a dump? Would Gilligan’s Travels have been a more apt title?
Gulliver’s Travels
Nguồn thông tin bài viết đầy đủ => https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulliver%27s_Travels_(2010_film)
Website: https://moviecynics.com/