Recent Review: The Stupids (Released: 30th August 1996)

"Okay... Camouflage lesson No. 1... To look like a bush you have to think like a bush... Okay, here I am, just being a bush. Just growing and hanging out. Oh yes, this is the life for me! Sure is a lot of soil around here; a lot of sunshine too... As a bush I notice these things. Wait a minute. What's this? I have arms? I am a bush with arms! And legs! I am the first bush in history with legs! I can walk! Oh, gaze ye unbelievers upon this miracle! This walking bush! Half-man, half-plant; he dwells in two worlds, but is the master of both! OH MAN-BUSH! YOU ARE NATURE'S GREATEST WONDER!" - Stanley Stupid 

I find comedy is one of the hardest genres to review, as it can be extremely subjective. As a result, most comedies attract mixed opinion and are subsequently forgotten by the majority of film lovers. Some forms of comedy can transcend this and receive near-universal praise: political satire, mime and some spoofs have all enjoyed success at one time or another. However, one genre struggles against negative reviews more than any other – “stupid comedy”. Such under-rated classics in this genre include 'Ernest Goes to Jail' (1990), 'Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls' (1995) and John Landis' 1996 film 'The Stupids'.

Or maybe it's just me. I do seem to be in a very small minority of people who enjoy these aforementioned films. Jim Varney's 'Ernest' series for example has been a favourite of mine from childhood, yet this taste of mine is dismissed by my friends and family as a type of light brain damage – probably caused by the films themselves. The hallmarks of this beleaguered sub-genre include: Obviousness. Irony. Obvious Irony. Puns. Improbable Fortune. Improbable Misfortune. Misunderstanding. Slapstick. The Long Joke. It is also important to note what it omits: Toilet Humour. Violence. Sex. In short, it is largely a family-friendly genre that works through childish silliness rather than “adult” smut.

'The Stupids' is a perfect showcase for this. The film is based on the controversial series of children's books by Harry Allard and directed by 80's icon John Landis. The plot is as stupid as the protagonists; family man Stanley Stupid (Tom Arnold) believes his rubbish is being stolen by an arch-villain bent on world-domination, but in his misguided quest he and his family uncover a real conspiracy they can barely comprehend. Many consider this film to be awful, and poor Tom Arnold even won 'Worst Actor' in the 1996 Golden Raspberries. This is woefully unfair, Arnold gives a charming performance as the hapless, jaunty protagonist who ignorantly breezes through grave danger. He plays the role straight and for the most part it works. Obviously some sequences in the film miss more than others, but it has enough energy and intrigue to sustain it's running time.

To say more on the plot or to discuss the comedic moments would spoil them, which leaves me as a reviewer with little else to say. I find 'The Stupids' to be a well-made, light-hearted and memorable comedy-caper. It is likely if you do not enjoy daft, silly humour then you will not enjoy 'The Stupids'. That said, I recommend giving it a try and who knows – perhaps you'll discover a taste for something stupid too.

****

(UK Release: 9th August 1996)