When kids used to gaze into the sky, it was their imagination that inspired dreams of what life above the clouds was like. It was transforming this imagination into actual creations that provided us with the opportunity to soar among those very same clouds.
?Be Kind Rewind? shows that imagination alone cannot always take you to where you want to go. Director and writer Michel Gondry (?Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind?) develops an exceptionally creative idea in his head, but falls short of taking this idea and turning it into an equally enterprising film. The resulting unique story is unfortunately overshadowed by inadequate humor and frivolous side plots.
The story begins with Jerry (Jack Black, ?The Holiday?), who has recently become magnetized as a result of a run-in with the local power plant. This causes him to wipe out the entire videocassette inventory of the run-down video store where his friend Mike (Mos Def, ?16 Blocks?) works. In an attempt to keep the few customers the store has, Mike and Jerry set out to recreate every video in the store?s stock.
These spoofs of popular movies ? such as ?Ghostbusters,? ?Rush Hour 2? and ?The Lion King? ? are the only thing keeping this film afloat. The videos are so inaccurate and off-the-wall that one cannot help but laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. Homespun creations ? from aluminum foil suits to enormous cardboard animal cut-outs ? only add to the simplistic humor that makes these scenes a blast to watch.
Jack Black?s zany antics add life to these spoofs, but he provides the little comedy that this film has. That said, do not expect to see him bring anything new to the role. He plays the same worn-out goofball character that hit its prime five years ago with ?School of Rock.?
But then, this is more than can be said for Mos Def, who brings absolutely nothing to this film. The guy is a humor vacuum. Black could have the theater in an uproar, only to have the riotous atmosphere he creates become as solemn as a funeral the moment Mos Def enters the scene. A banana peel would have provided more comedy than Mos Def?s role.
Despite the fact that the main story is entertaining and direct, for some reason Gondry felt he needed to throw in an assortment of insignificant side plots. Even worse, after these side plots are introduced, he fails to return and make anything of them.
In one scene Mike kisses a female co-worker, signaling the start of a romantic relationship. But the scene ends, and Gondry never again mentions the relationship. It is unfinished scenes like these that ruin an otherwise promising original screenplay.
Gondry?s biggest mistake was allowing these flaws to almost entirely block out the story?s strong theme of community. In the movie, Jerry and Mike call upon the traditional storeowner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover, ?Shooter?), the deranged widow Miss Falewicz (Mia Farrow, ?The Ex?) and various other town members to help recreate their films. These sentimental scenes show the strength that comes from a diverse community rising up and working together for a common goal. This theme of community should be a powerful message for today?s society, which continues to slip further away from civil engagement and a sense of commonwealth. Unfortunately, this message barely gets a chance to shine through the fray of side plots and hollow humor.
In the end, ?Be Kind Rewind? is little more than a showcase for Black to parody some of our culture?s most popular movies. The rest of the film is simply a jumbled mess of side plots and forced humor that effectively overshadows what should have been an imaginative film.
2 stars out of 5