Oftentimes when movies are advertised as offensive, they turn out to be overhyped interpretations of what the films actually are. However, “Movie 43” is so genuinely offensive that it should be quarantined like an outbreak of the bubonic plague.
A good comedy movie should be funny and inviting, but “Movie 43” is purely disgusting and pointless. In fact, the title “Movie 43” literally means nothing at all.
The basic plot of “Movie 43” centers around an out-of-work actor, portrayed by the painfully uncool Dennis Quaid, who is trying to pitch a series of movie skits to the completely unenthusiastic Greg Kinnear.
Quaid’s character, motivated by profit and his own insane belief that his scripts are even worth the paper they are written on, is completely unfeeling and uninteresting. As he explains the ideas, they are portrayed on screen in a series of unrelated vignettes.
One of the biggest critiques of “Movie 43” is its profound misunderstanding of what comedy is.
Lowbrow comedies, like the “Jackass” movies and “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” succeed by having likable characters and a variety of laughs.
“Movie 43,” on the other hand, features the exact same laughs, with no variation whatsoever. Defecation and genitalia are overly mentioned in each skit, beating the audience senselessly.
One of the skits, featuring Anna Farris and J.B. Smoove, revolves around a woman wanting her boyfriend to defecate on her neck; another revolves around Hugh Jackman having testicles hanging from his neck.
Another problem with “Movie 43” is that its trailers feature almost all of the movie’s funny moments, and they aren’t even very funny.
Since each of the skits stars different actors and directors, an overall sense of direction or unifying theme is completely absent. Anthology films work in certain situations, but this one fails on almost every possible level.
The agonizingly painful acting seals the deal on what has to be one of the worst comedies ever made.
Female stars like Halle Berry, Elizabeth Banks and Kristen Bell serve no purpose but to be exploited and objectified.
It is apparent to everyone, including the actors themselves, that money was the sole reason people like Jackman and Kate Winslet showed up.
What makes “Movie 43” one of the worst comedies ever produced isn’t its rude, disgusting, “mother-making-out-with-her-own-son” types of scenes. There are just no laughs in what appears to be a script written by an immature seventh-grader who thinks poop and fart jokes are the epitome of humor.