|
| .. |
|
|
THE GODTHUMB
Review by Michael Jacobson
Creator:
Steve Oedekerk
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby
Stereo
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Studio: Image Entertainment
Features: See Review
Length: 31 Minutes
Release Date: November 19, 2002
“Pop…you're
weirdin' me out here!!”
Steve
Oedekerk scores a hit (get it?) with his latest Thumbation offering!
The
Godthumb spoofs
one of cinema's most noted and influential pictures (no, not Freddy Got
Fingered, but thanks for playing), and mines comic gold.
I'm thankful he chose to kid The Godfather instead of making The
Thumbpranos; this was the funnier idea.
From
the wedding day favors to the hidden weapons in the bathrooms (“Hey, this
isn't toilet paper!!”), Oedekerk and crew have a field day with Coppola's
film. The Godthumb, with his bad
comb-over and wheezy voice, runs his empire while snacking on…ah, never mind.
His latest challenge is the infiltration of new ideas into the
mob…namely, square meatballs.
When
the Godthumb refuses, he is gunned down in a blaze of glory.
I don't want to reveal how he ends up, but I will say his performance
is at least a head above Marlon Brando's.
It leaves his sons, including Thumbie and Adopted Lawyer Son, trying to
steer the family into the future…hard to do with no hands.
Oedekerk
is back in fine form with this short film.
It's funny and sharp throughout, with more than one sequence that will
have you laughing out loud. The all
out mob war is a scream; it actually doesn't involve guns so much as just
doing really mean things to one another.
Fans
of the previous Thumbation selections will enjoy adding this one to their
collection…it's an offer you can't refuse.
Video
**1/2
This
one is a step down from previous thumb offerings. I think Oedekerk was trying to re-create Gordon Willis'
influential lighting style, but it doesn't work on video.
A lot of the images are soft, murky, and lacking in definition.
It's still very watchable, but a noticeable drop in quality.
Audio
***
Not
a bad sounding 5.1 mix…the gunfire (well, what did you expect in a movie
called The Godthumb?) is lively, the dialogue is clean and clear, and the
spoof of Nino Rota's legendary score is a nice touch.
Features
**
The
extras were a little disappointing this time around…considering some of
Oedekerk's thumb movies have had a couple of commentary tracks on them, this
one has none. All that's left is
a slew of thumb trailers, some staged outtakes and character interviews, some
“personal thoughts”, and some storyboards.
There's a faux “sneak peak” that runs during the end credits, if
you want to count that, too.
Summary:
