Movie Review: THE TEN

What makes me so qualified to make a movie review? Well I wrote like 4 or 5 movie reviews for The Eagle last year and that was fun. And then the CHUDS came at me and I left the paper. But I think I have a little bit of experience in being objective enough to review movies as well. Although this might not have been the best movie to be objective on considering I'm a fan of everyone affiliated with this film (except Jessica Alba) and most of the people who wrote this and had any production assistance are my heroes I think I can be objective enough to give a straight and honest critique of the movie.

Unlike Director David Wain's previous effort, "The Ten" is not one absurdly demented story but rather ten as the title indicates, each one placing an absurd and at times nonsensical situation in the context of a certain commandment. As previous reviews have indicated the fact that this film is a series of stories, the humor can be a bit hit-or-miss but even when it misses it seems to wind iteslf back to another proposterous scenario that if nothing else makes you laugh at the shear notion.

One example is the story involving Liev Schrieber's character (a police detective as we are led to believe through earlier vignettes) covetting at CAT scan machine purchased by his neighbor Joe Lo Truglio. First let me begin by saying that in college we are all taught that every story, even if it's a story within a story such as this, must have a point and that without this point there is no "real" story. While this story, has a hilarious premise it is probably the weakest in terms of laughter with the main JOKES coming at the beginning of the scene. What it does do however is make the viewer wonder why in the world would a man purchase so many CAT scan machines. And as the situation grows more absurd (believe me it does) the questions just get bigger and bigger and in this, Wain and Marino have duped you into believing this story had an actual point.

And in this vain, "The Ten" continues in the tradition of Wain's previous effort "Wet Hot American Summer". You think there's a point. You think there's some closure, but nope. And while for many this is the ultimate joke played on movies afficiados and critics for others used to a more conventional form of comedy it baffles and angers them. For those looking for your run-of-the-mill religious satire, you've come to the wrong film. If you are one of those people that over-intellectualizes film and believe yourself to be a "true expert" on cinema, you've come to the wrong film. However, if you just like to laugh whether it be at poop jokes and/or to subtle wit, regardless if you're in film school or the Devry Institute, then come to this film.

If nothing else the only true negative thing this film is guilty of doing is doing the same thing "WET HOT" did and that is giving the middle finger to every two-bit failed script writer/film major who considers themself a movie expert and that goes for the big guns like Roger Ebert and David Hammond. This film is clearly not out for critical praise like "Wet Hot" or even "The Baxter" as any of their "Rotten Tomatoes" reviews indicate. It's out to make you laugh and to make you sing, probably.

Admittedly the film has its misses as is expected with a film like this. Much as "WET HOT" had a joke by minute ration of like 100 to 1, there are bound to be some misses but when the movie does succeed, which is most of the time, the results are golden.

A particular surprising hilarious performace comes in the form of Oliver Platt who plays a terrible Arnold Shwartzenegger impersonator hired to fill the void of two young african-american boys whose biological father was revealed to be Arnold by their mother. Yes you heard me right. And as with the previous mentioned sketch, the scenario couldn't have been set up more beautifully. Only where the other CAT scan scene attacks you more in the general sense, this story is a laugh per minute mindfuck of a story with a surprisinly hilarious performance from Oliver Platt that can only be described as comic genius.

Another amazing performance is handed in unexpectedly (although at this point it shouldn't be) by Justin Theroux as Jesus Christ in a story about a women who has a sexual awakening in Mexico ala "How STELLA Got Her Groove Back". This story is arguably the funniest of all the stories with the trademark Wain humor interjected at every corner.

Paul Rudd, who is in every single movie ever made this year, turns in another funny performance as the narrator/conflicted adulterer, who must present these stories while struggling with a moral dilemma of his own. Paul Rudd seems to be setting himself up to be Hollywood's go-to surprising funny guy although by this point, it's pretty much well known that the man is hilarious and has got acting chops.

The movie even has two managable performances from Jessica Alba and Adam Brody, two people not known for their great comedic acting (or acting for that matter) skills. While one or two stories bear that "general" form of comedy that might be difficult for some to get through, the bulk of the film retains its disgusting charm and maintains a level of hilarity on par with that of "Wet Hot" or anything else released this summer for that matter. The film ends up being a mix of low-brow potty humor, subtle irony and high-brow dada absurdity that's destined to be a fan favorite and cult classic.


I give it a 91.7%. Good enought for an A-