MACGRUBER

US, 2010, 90 minutes, Colour.
Will Forte, Kristin Wiig, Ryan Philippe, Val Kilmer, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph.
Directed by Jorma Taccone.


This is a spoof movie from writers, performers, director and producer of Saturday Night Live.

The humour will depend on audience liking of the television satire, the humour of the writing, the over-the-top performances.

It is clearly a satire on the television series Mac Gyver and television series heroics.

Will Forte, who contributed to the writing of the screenplay, portrays my group are, atop action hero for the American government, though he exhibits no particular traits except throat gouging, has been thought dead for 10 years but is living in an a monastery in Ecuador and he is persuaded to come back into action by the visit of the colonel, Powers Boothe, and his young assistant, Ryan Philippe.

Mac Gruber builds up a team but accidentally leaves explosive in the van which kills them all – typical enough of his ineptness, his disobeying orders, his going into the limelight instead of capitalising on the fact that he was dead… One of his devices to distract is to parade nude with celery protruding from his posterior – giving Ryan Philippe the opportunity to do the same later.

Kristin Wiig is a pleasant heroine – before she made a big impact in such films as Bridesmaids and moved to be a top movie star. Val Kilmer is the villain with the ambiguous name, Kunth, depending on the pronunciation.

Lots of spoof, crass humour, and suspicions about the group himself and a touch of deviancy.

It all depend on moods and enjoyment of parities of television series.

1. An entertainment? From the Saturday Night Live actors and writers? Director?

2. Audience expectations of the spoof, of characters, dialogue, situations – exaggerated, the poking fun?

3. The reference to the television series and hero, Mac Gyver?

4. Audience presuppositions: a hero, the reputation, heroic action and beyond, the role of government, conspiracy theories, detection, pursuit of criminals, work with the team, the girlfriend and partner, crises…?

5. The success of the spoof here, the humour of the writing, the send-ups, the mock hero and his being mocked, not able to pick up guns, his dumb manner, selecting his team of big toughs and the explosion and their deaths? The explanation of his background, the romance with his wife, her death, the villain, his being believed to be dead, going to the monastery and his life there?

6. A crisis situation for the American government, the colonel going to find him, with Piper, going to Ecuador, the monastery? Dead 10 years? The flashbacks to the wedding and Casey, the explosion? Kunth as villain? His stealing of the weapon, the initial sequence in Siberia and the action? The threat to America?

7. Will Forte as Mac Gruber, the heightened expectations of his reputation, their being dashed? Ecuador as a refuge, his refusal to come out, change of heart? The past relationship with, with Casey? Casey changing her relationship with Kunth and Mac Gruber? The briefing about the situation? Piper, his interventions,Mac Gruber looking down on him, breaking his nose? Jim and his tolerance?

8. The range of tactics, Mac Gruber disobeying, going to Las Vegas, the gambling, the CCTV, confronting Kunth and the Senator, the challenge? The Colonel’s exasperation and taking Mac Gruber off the case?

9. The recruiting of the team, tough, in the van, the deaths? Going to see Vicky, being unwilling, her music career, her liking from Mac Gruber, agreement?

10. Piper, young, no experience, his being amazed at Mac Gruber, yet his collaboration? The various bungles – and even Mac Gruber using Piper has a shield?

11. The issue of the phone, the trace, the GPS?

12. Vicki taken, imprisoned, Kunth and his treatment? Joining in the final attack?

13. Mac Gruber, not using a gun, his cowardly behaviour, his preferring to cut out throats – is illustrated?

14. The buildup to the siege, the warehouse, the weapon, killing the guards, getting in, wanting to free Vicky, being captured?

15. Mac Gruber and his technique of destruction, naked and the use of the celery – and Piper using the same distraction and enabling Mac Gruber to attack?

16. The dismantling of the weapon, Mac Gruber getting distracted, split-second timing, the group running from the building, the explosion?

17. The wedding, Vicky, Kunth and his arrival, the confrontation, his death?

18. How much did the human depend on audience knowledge of Mac Gyver – and of TV heroes?