Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Legend of Awesomest Maximus

Film satires are a real crapshoot; for every great one (Hot Shots!, Scary Movie) there seem to be a dozen or so just plain crappy ones. This movie, directed by Jeff Kanew, is one of the better ones because it not only gleefully spoofs the movies – everything from Gladiator to 300 to Braveheart – but is a strong enough comedy to stand on its own. The key is the funny work of funnyman Will Sasso (Curly in the Farrelly brothers’ Three Stooges movie) as the hero of the piece, a happy-go-lucky Roman general who is much better hosting a feast than leading his troops into battle. When his brother kidnaps the wife of a rival leader, he is forced to put down his beer and pick up a sword, with hilarious results. Those who prefer their humor refined or are easily offended should look elsewhere; those who aren’t afraid to laugh at the absurd, ridiculous and, yes, offensive, will find a home.

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