If a young kid makes a mistake and gets sent to juvenile hall, or wherever, it can cement his future as a criminal. The path he began in freedom becomes cemented in the big house, leading to a life of crime with many stays in the pen. What if he was truly rehabilitated, or received some proper education, could this path of crime have been avoided?
Not all of the blame can be laid upon the system, but it surely doesn't help. Shepard's John Lyshitski is the example of a kid that could have been saved, but was let down by the system. He has reached his breaking point and decides to fight back and show what the system did to him by sharing it with the judge's son. Of course, this is a comedy and if everything went according to plan it would probably be quite dull. So, the plot has Nelson Biederman IV do quite well for himself, and actually ends up learning more about his true self than the outside world would allow him to see.
The movie looks like a low budget affair, and it is. It is a slapstick spoof on the prison film and has some great characters. Will Arnett is funny. This is almost an extension of his character on Arrested Development. Dax Shepard is turning into a solid comic actor. But when it comes down to it, the film is stolen by Chi McBride, who is hilarious as Barry, one of the cellblock rapists who makes a yummy Merlot in his toilet.
Bottomline. Funny in spurts, dull in gaps, but it does have a certain subversive energy to it that was rather infectious. It could have used another rewrite or two to bring a stronger focus, but it still is pretty entertaining. Not necessarily worthy of the big screen treatment, but will likely find a small fanbase once it hits DVD.
Mildly Recommended.
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