'3BlackChicks Review...'
RAT RACE (2001) Rated PG-13; running time 125 minutes Genre: comedy Seen at: Jack Lokes' Celebration Cinema (Lansing, Michigan) Official site: http://www.ratracemovie.com/ IMDB site: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0250687 Written by: Andy Breckman Directed by: Jerry Zucker Cast: Rowan Atkinson, Kathy Bates, Dean Cain, Lanai Chapman, John Cleese, Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Seth Green, Wayne Knight, Jon Lovitz, Breckin Meyer , Kathy Najimy, Paul Rodriguez, Amy Smart, Dave Thomas, Vince Vieluf
Review Copyright Rose Cooper, 2001 Review URL: http://www.3blackchicks.com/bamsratrace.html
Though it was a childhood favorite of mine, I'm scared to watch It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World ever again. Scared because in watching it, I just might realize that it's just as dumb as RAT RACE was.
The Story (WARNING: **spoilers contained below**) The rats in RAT RACE are all too human. In a bizarre play on Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Vegas casino owner Donald Sinclaire (John Cleese) offers his version of a Golden Ticket to eight "lucky" stiffs, with the promise of a $2mil payoff for the winner of a race from Las Vegas to Silver City, New Mexico. These are the players, in what should have been a madcap comedy:
-Enrico Pollini (Rowan Atkinson), a goofball Italian citizen who has a medical problem that might prevent him from getting anywhere too quickly; -Vera Baker (Whoopi Goldberg) and Merrill Jennings (Lanai Chapman), a mother-daughter team who just met--27 years after Merrill was born; -Owen Templeton (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), a pro football referee who half the men in America are mad at for messing up a coin toss [Yeah, you heard me, a coin toss. Not a vital, mis-called play. Not a blatant foul. A coin toss. Can you tell my eyes damn near rolled out of their sockets?]; -Duane Cody (Seth Green) and his bejeweled brother Blaine (Vince Vieluf), con men who can't quite pull off a proper con; -Randy Pear (Jon Lovitz), a soccer dad trying to keep wife Bev (Kathy Najimy) from discovering he wants to have a wee bit o' fun on their vacation; -Straight-laced lawyer Nick Shaffer (Breckin Meyer), who never did anything illegal in his life until he hooked up with goofy pilot Tracy Faucet (Amy Smart).
Here's where I'm supposed to say "...and Hilarity Ensued". Uh huh.
The Upshot: Based on the trailers I saw, I admittedly went into RAT RACE with low expectations - and they were met. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - the inclusion of Cuba Gooding, Jr. in comedy mode, especially, initially scared me off - but "it could've been a lot worse" just isn't my idea of a sparkling movie recommendation. True, it could have been; but I figure movies cost too daggone much to watch these days, to be satisfied with only having your intelligence insulted "just a little".
The biggest problem with RAT RACE for me was that it just plain wasn't funny; not funny enough, anyway, to mask some huge logic holes (I'd say "plot holes", normally, but there was no real plot. "Character development? We don' need no stinkin' character development!"). Had I laughed harder - or more often - I might not have had time to notice the many implausible scenarios, starting with the biggest two: the Vera Baker/Merrill Jennings (Whoopi Goldberg/Lanai Chapman) relationship, and the completely implausible airport antenna situation upon which the rest of the movie's hijinx [or should I say, "lowjinx"?] was built.
As with its brother in implausibility, Face/Off (which offended me so much, I left the theater before it was over), once my disbelief was suspended so high it developed altitude sickness, there was no saving this flick. Unlike Face/Off, however, RAT RACE had no other qualities that held my interest.
Hmmm...that's not exactly true. In discussing the movie with The Diva, I had to admit that the whole Barbie subplot, especially the hilarious conclusion, was indeed funny; and less funny, but still somewhat amusing before it got tired, was the side betting going on by the big rollers. But being that these were only a small part of the flick, and after being asked to swallow this movie's lame, sellout conclusion, Jon Lovitz's nod to Henry Godwin, and Dave Thomas' deadpan lawyer schtick, only just barely pulled this film out of redlight territory. I would say that director Jerry Zucker ought to stick with Airplane! and Naked Gun, but their time has passed, too.
The "Black Factor" [ObDisclaimer: We Are Not A Monolith] New readers of my reviews are often intimidated by my "Black Factor" commentary. Ignoring those who totally (and usually, blindly) miss the point for a second, there are others who take issue with my questioning, for instance, Black actors acting like buffoons in what is supposed to be a comedy.
And up to a point, I agree: all other characterizations being equally buffoonish, a Black actor in a comedy should not be held to a different standard by being made unnaturally Noble. Indeed, I'd rather see a funny actor of whatever race being allowed to be funny, over them being made the Hero just to avoid the tricky subjects of race, class, and culture (which, really, doesn't avoid them at all. Folks like me are chompin' at the bit to razz a pedantic, paternalistic filmmaker; one who has the nads to admit that, yes, racial situations do exist, earn at least my admiration for their tenacity).
So this BF is purely a jab at Cuba Gooding Jr., and not at The Machine which would make him act the fool. He does that to himself without much help. The man is brilliant as a serious actor; I've enjoyed him thoroughly, without pause, in films like Boyz N The Hood and Men Of Honor. But please, somebody, spank his agent's ass if Gooding decides to do another comedy. Save me the effort of another "This Moment In Black Buffoonery" created just for him.
Bammer's Bottom Line: I suppose I should mention John Cleese, and Kathy Bates, and Rowan Atkinson, in here somewhere. There. They're mentioned. And for the stupidity that was RAT RACE, that's about all they deserve.
RAT RACE (rating: yellowlight.gif): Not even a funny invocation of Godwin's Law, could save this drowning mouse.
Rose "Bams" Cooper Webchick and Editor, 3BlackChicks Review Entertainment Reviews With Flava! Copyright Rose Cooper, 2001 EMAIL: bams@3blackchicks.com http://www.3blackchicks.com/
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