Hamlet 2 (2008)

Dana Marschz is a failed actor and recovering alcoholic who's moved to Tucson to teach high school drama, where he's plagued by bad reviews, student indifference, budget woes, and his own teaching limitations.Because the other electives are closed, he finds himself with a large class of seeming gang-bangers, and the principal informs him that drama will be cut next trimester.On the advice of a student reviewer, Dana decides to stage his own play, a sequel to "Hamlet" in which the prince and Jesus, with the use of a time machine, try to save Gertrude and Ophelia.....Like all good British comedians, Coogan gets to headline an American comedy on his own merits, don't count around the world in 80 days, the film was about spectacle. And we get more or less the same result as we had before, mediocre film, mediocre returns.It's not Coogans fault, the material he is given is far below him, and it shows. The idea is sound and the actual 'Hamlet 2' is breathtakingly bizarre, it's just the rest of the film fails miserably with typecast college kids and throwing a couple of bizarre roles to slightly famous people doesn't make a movie funnier.Like other films where British comedians have took a Hollywood film on their own, True Identity, Drop Dead Fred, and Ghost Town, the idea is sound but the outcome is unfunny. Coogan appears like he isn't allowed to be Coogan, and explore more, Instead he falls over and puts on a ridiculous accent.Wanted to like it, but just didn't in the end.

If anyone wonders how the choice of a director can affect a movie, look at "Hamlet 2." There's a lot of potentially funny material in this film, but director Andrew Fleming fails to cultivate much from it. There are a lot of directors that are hired because they are cheap, not because their style will bring anything unique to the film (some know them as "directors for hire"). However, looking at "Hamlet 2," it makes us realize that while they may not carry the weight of say, the Coen Brothers or Steven Spielberg, if they can make a good film they know what they're doing. However, the flip side is also true: a poor director can ruin a potentially good film.Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) is a wannabe actor. Unfortunately, he is terrible at it, so in order to pay the bills, he has to take a job as a high school drama teacher. He sees this as an opportunity to "inspire" his students (insert reference to "Dead Poet's Society" here cause the movie's way ahead of you). However, save for his two suck-ups, no one pays attention. But when the School Board decides to cancel drama, he decides to write his own original play to save it. However, the new play causes a storm of controversy in Tuscon, Arizona (where the film is set).It's hard to address the acting when the director lets them down so much. Steve Coogan is an able comedian. He gives it his all, but his talents are wasted. Same goes for the rest of the cast, which includes Amy Poehler (in what is hardly larger than a cameo), Catherine Keener, David Arquette, and Elizabeth Shue (as Elizabeth Shue, playing off her real-life undeservedly lackluster career).In every way, Andrew Fleming fails as a director with this film. He doesn't know the concept of comic timing. He can't establish an even flow throughout the film. The film's plot is complex, and Fleming appears at a loss as to what to do with it all. Worst of all, he can't inject any life into it the film. Based on his resume, it's not especially surprising that the film is so lackluster (his past credits include "Dick," "The Craft," and "Nancy Drew." Let's hope Andrew Fleming doesn't ruin another film.

The biggest surprise of my weekend was Hamlet 2. It's a stupid concept that went all the way round back to genius again. Great movie. Hilarious performances from Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener and Elisabeth Shue. Clever when it needed to be, sincere at times, and out and out stupid-funny in the best way at other times.I guess a big concern with this movie is mindless vulgarity, which I personally have no problem with, but there's really none of that here. Sure, the main writer worked on South Park: Bigger Longer Uncut, and Team America - but Hamlet 2 has a lo more charm.I gave it a 9. It does what a comedy is supposed to do - made me laugh out loud several times!

There's so much to recommend in this movie, the script is sharp, the jokes are solid, the direction is well paced but most importantly Steve Coogan is finally showing signs of becoming a real comedic character actor as oppose to his own varied persona.The movie is about a failed actor, Dana Marshz, who is in love with the craft of acting, in the classical sense of the method actor. Failing as an actor he turns to teaching, and is equally as bad at this. All the whilst his wife is sleeping with the lodger and he is roller blading to work to save money. Dana is then forced to teach a group of Latinos who have chosen to study drama because their favourite subjects have all been cancelled. Failing to inspire them with his knowledge of acting, he inadvertently gets their attention when drama is cancelled and he decides to take matters into his own hands by saving drama with a production of Hamlet 2 the sequel.This movie could have been an absolute bomb, but what it manages to do is ridicule every genre that we expect it to be. For example we see the ridiculing of the cross cultural genre in the Latinos meets white middle America, we see the teacher take on the school and parents against the odds, we see the teacher inspire the student genre. Everything from Dangerous Minds to Dead Poet's society is turned squarely on it's head and the result is pure hilarity.Steve Coogan does a great job as the superficial do gooder who could never get a break, I've been a fan of Coogan since his Alan Partridge days and always thought he was a true comic. Though his move to the U.S has been hit and miss with movies such 80 days around the world and Alibi not really flexing his true capabilities. It seems that in Hamlet 2 he has found that perfect balance between facial contortion humour and perfectly delivered lines. This is a career high for Coogan and I hope this is the way forward for him as he begins to fill his full potential as a comedian for our time.