TROMEO AND JULIET
A film review by Chuck Dowling
Copyright 1997 Chuck Dowling
Tromeo and Juliet (1995) *1/2 out of ***** - Written by: James Gunn and Lloyd Kaufman. Directed by: Lloyd Kaufman. Running Time: 102 minutes
How can I review a film which is supposed to be bad? Troma Films' "Tromeo and Juliet" is a twisted spin (and twisted really isn't a strong enough word) on the classic Shakespeare story (guess which one). One thing I usually grade a film on is: Does the film succeed in doing what it is trying to do? Technically yes, it tries to be bad and succeeds. By that, "Tromeo and Juliet" should get a perfect rating. But I just can't do that. So I use another of my grading criteria: Does the film entertain? No, for the most part it does not.
I assume fans of Troma films will delight in the film's use of nudity, cartoonish gore, lesbianism, bondage, incest, toe-sucking, nipple-piercing (on camera no less), animal mutilation, profanity, drug use, and vomiting. Call me crazy, but most of those things just don't appeal to me.
I will give the film credit in a couple areas. There are three characters in the film who have such a high level of energy that they are fairly entertaining, and the actor's portraying them are decent. They provide a few laughs. Also, I must admit that I've never seen anything like someone's stomach swelling up, and then bursting open to reveal fresh yummy popcorn to the delight of others who are in the scene at the time. Bizarre? Of course, but that's Troma.
On the down side, there's constant Troma product placements which immediately get irritating. Also, the actor playing the lead role of Tromeo is borderline repulsive to watch. And mainly, I'm all for campy fun, but countless scenes involve incestuous relations between Juliet and her father, not exactly what I'd consider fun to watch. The scenes aren't even played campy. But again, I guess that's Troma. The best part of the film is the closing credits, and no, not just because the film is over. They're done in the "Airplane" style, and a couple of them are worth a chuckle or two. [R]
-- Chuck Dowling --
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