The Godson (1998)

Simply A Masterpiece

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

I have to say, this is one of the funniest movies I have seen in a long time. I can't even count the number of reviews I read for this movie calling it something like "the worst movie I've ever seen," but apparently some people just don't understand good humor. Other than Rodney Dangerfield's lines, plus a few by other actors, this movie doesn't contain a lot of straight-forward, obvious humor that a lot of people apparently look for in a movie. This movie is filled with subtle humor and little things that one has to notice in order to fully appreciate this movie. I won't comment on the plot specifically, but if you don't want some of the scenes revealed then you might not want to read this until after you see the movie. First of all, the names of the characters in this movie are outstanding. Rodney Dangerfield as "The Rodfather," Dom DeLuise as "The Oddfather," and Fabiana Udenio as "Don Na" are examples of comedic genius right there. The scene with all the Dons is great; you even get "Don King" in there. When some of the other reviewers saw this movie, they obviously didn't look for all the little intricacies that make this movie great. The showing of a small, plain, one-story house as the home of the Calzones, followed by the showing of the interior as a gigantic mansion is brilliant. The cameo by Joey Buttafuoco as himself, and Lou Ferrigno's insistance on being called "Alice" even though his character is a huge, muscular guy are two more little things you have to catch to understand the humor in this movie. I don't even know what to say about the end of the movie either, because just when you think it's over, it's really not. I laughed so hard because you think the movie is over because of Guppy's stupidity, but then the studio executive breaks through the black screen looking for more to the movie. Just hilarious. This movie is like "Office Space" where you have to notice the little things and watch the movie more than once to fully appreciate the movie and the comedic talent of the writers.

I am glad that I saw this movie so that I may be able to greater appreciate every other piece of cinema that has ever existed. This film did not make me laugh at all throughout it's seemingly endless running time. I fail to comprehend how the stars of this movie, which are all funny guys, could not alter the story at all to make the movie in the least bit humorous. I say this because I know that if Rodney Dangerfield or MacDonald had made any impact on the story, this film would would be infinitely more entertaining. I am able to accurately use the figure of infinity because as it stands, this film's entertainment value is 0, if not less, therefore, any improvement at all would be indeterminably large.

Why do members of great comedy troupes tend to participate in mostly crap when their group's disband, no matter how funny and intelligent they are?Eric Idle of Monty Python recently starred in the awful sitcom "Suddenly Susan". Python's John Cleese is doing the rounds in every sitcom, Hollywood comedy or commercial that comes calling as well. David Cross of the brilliant HBO series Mr. Show can now be seen in wretched films like "Scary Movie 2" or in guest spots on the bland sitcom "Just Shoot Me". Former Kids in the Hall cast members have ended up in lame comedys, sitcoms & even Saturday Night Live.Kevin McDonald, once a hilarious 'Kid In The Hall' himself, is now doing schlock like The Godson. It is sad. He's a funny guy - most of the time, but the key is moderation, restraint and timing. This movie exhibits none, and McDonald's hyperactive and insecure character is just totally out of control. Does't help that he's surrounded by horrible jokes. So Kevin McDonald continues to the tradition of great sketch comedians who don't seem to give a damn when it comes to working outside of their element. Unfortunately, anybody who first comes upon the Kids in the Hall AFTER seeing him in this may have grown to hate him.

Have you ever seen a movie that you didn't love the first time but somehow after three or four viewings you find yourself quoting it constantly? This is one of those films. Everyone will not laugh at every joke but the more you see it the more jokes you will get.This silly spoof comedy is smarter than you think it just takes a few times to make it work.