Here it is, a publicist’s nightmare. Hamlet 2 is a film that really doesn’t have an audience, at least not a target one. It seems Focus has been hell bent on trying to create a little controversy around the film’s portrayal of Jesus as a “Sexy Jesus” but it seems most people have turned a deaf ear. That isn’t to say Hamlet 2 isn’t a funny film, because it really isn’t all that bad, it’s to say it is something of an enigma that isn’t quite sure of exactly what it is as it mixes racy comedy with personal drama giving the studio nothing to sell, not even a big name actor.
At times raunchy and at other times sweet, Hamlet 2 centers on Dana Marschz a washed up actor turned failed high school drama teacher played by Steve Coogan (Tropic Thunder). Facing the closure of the drama department Dana must gather his gang of misfit students as they set out to make an obscene, yet poignant, original play Dana has written. The play is called “Hamlet 2” and it is offensive in almost every way, but to a point. Unfortunately the school principal and community don’t see “get it” and in the end the play becomes a media frenzy.
Coogan has several high comedy moments, but it is the inconsistency in his character that makes it a bit difficult to completely give yourself to the film. The character he plays is a complete dunce, yet there is something deep inside of him that makes you want to care for him. Unfortunately it is this duality that makes his wild four-letter word outbursts funny as well as off-putting. Sure, an out-of-your-mind rant laced with swearing and inappropriate comments is more than enough to get me to laugh, especially with Coogan delivering it, but when I am also supposed to be pitying him while caring for him and laughing at him it makes it that much harder to find common ground.
Catherine Keener turns in a satisfying performance as something of a comatose drunk and Amy Poehler steals the show as foul-mouthed ACLU lawyer named Cricket Feldstein. Poehler truly owns every scene she occupies and will have you laughing out loud as the true highlight of the film. Elisabeth Shue is a good sport to come in and do a self-parodying role, playing herself as a retired actress working as a nurse in Tucson (the city itself is also the butt of the joke a couple of times), but the joke is sort of one note.
In the end Hamlet 2 is a decent watch but it is all over the board. The moments leading up to the finale are far better than the end result as the big performance at the end of the film isn’t as interesting, or offensive for that matter, as it is made out to be in the making. Typically the grand performance at the end of a film like this is the payoff, but instead the payoff here are the moments leading up to the event, which is a shame. Basically they blew their load way too soon in terms of comedy and the moments of real drama make you wonder what the real goal was.
C+
