Movie 43 (2013) – Review

Where to watch Movie 43

1 1/2 Stars

Movie 43 is composed of 13 shorts, stitched together with a running storyline about a mad screenwriter (Dennis Quaid) pitching ideas to a movie producer (Greg Kinnear). The skeleton structure is just a clothesline to insert the comedic sequences into the film at random. Of the skits, two are howlers and the rest range from amusing to off-putting. Admittedly, there is one point in the film, during a sketch that features a young couple trying defecation in the bedroom, that made me laugh out loud, then laugh again at myself for laughing. Movie 43 could have used a lot more of those moments.

This mixed bag of youth-oriented sketch comedy, takes on iPods, inspirational sports movies, and commercials. As I mentioned a few of the shorts really score, with cleverness and the ‘wow’ factor of watching big name stars make a fool of themselves. However, the frequent tendency towards bad taste and gross out gags spoils the fun.

Nearly every famous face in Tinseltown makes an appearance in some from or another. Making Movie 43 feel like a Hollywood inside joke reel, the kind of thing that plays during industry events, much like the original South Park episode. My guess is that Movie 43 may find an audience on DVD or with younger audiences that were restricted from seeing it in theaters due to the R rating. If I was 13 years old, this might be my favorite comedy ever. One thing is for certain, Movie 43 is not the worst movie of all time. In fact, it isn’t even the worst comedy of the year, Hangover Part III gets that dubious distinction. Problem is, it isn’t very memorable either.

Directors: Elizabeth Banks, Peter Farrelly, Brett Ratner
Stars: Halle Berry, Gerard Butler, Hugh Jackman