Looking for something a little different? Are you tired of romantic comedies that deliver neither, Asian remakes that lose the bite of the original, and spoofs that don't understand the concept of comedy? Do you thirst for something a little different, something other than the latest product of the Hollywood hype machine?
Well, perhaps this Vince Vaughn vanity project is the film for you. Or maybe not. However you want to look at it, Vince Vaughn's Wild West Comedy Show is different from the rest of the offerings that are currently in release. It is not a slickly produced, studio backed journey; rather it is more akin to a frat boy road trip of self-discovery and laughs. It is a project whose theatrical aspirations are questionable, but whose entertainment value is plainly apparent.
The film has had very little in the way of promotion, probably a big reason for the extraordinarily small audience on opening night (at the start of the show, I was one of three people in attendance). Not the smallest opening night "crowd" I have witnessed — that would be for DOA: Dead or Alive, where I was one of two. Still, this does not bode well for any long-term success. Vince will likely have to be content with better potential on the DVD circuit, where it will probably be in a very short time.
What the Wild West Comedy Show delivers and what I expected turned out to be quite different. I did not know all that much about it, aside from what was shown in the trailers, and what I was expecting was, more or less, a clip show of the concert tour that spotlighted the bigger jokes and guest stars. Yes, that was delivered, but it was more than that. Surprisingly, it was that "more" that made the movie simultaneously more watchable and a bit slower. I hesitate to say it transcends what is generally thought of as the comedy concert movie, but it does offer more insight than I would have expected, while not attempting to be too deep or revelatory. After all, this is about a bunch of comedians on the road; if it's not funny, what's the point?
Article comments
1 - Mark
It's too bad Vince Vaughn lets all these has-beens and never-be's use him. He's sinking his own career by letting these losers mooch off him and his name.
2 - Chris Beaumont
What are you talking about?