Pun Salad

Arrrgh. I was beguiled by a funny teaser playing on the overhead TV at the local Blockbuster. And this movie is full of people involved in pretty good past movies: Steve Zahn, Allen Covert, Jonah Hill, Justin Long. There are a few fondly remembered old-timers who, theoretically, could be pretty funny in a comedy: Harry Hamlin, Robert Patrick, Joe Don Baker. There's even an Oscar winner: Ernest Borgnine. (Yes, that was over 50 years ago, but…)

But it's awful. The plot premise is promising: the son of a famous TV wildlife show star tries to follow in Dad's footsteps, only to be continually frustrated by his own stupidity, aided by copious amounts of marijuana. This continues, until it stops.

It's a rare movie that could have been improved by giving more screen time to Ernest Borgnine. The half-star is for Mr. Borgnine. According to his IMDB bio he's 91. (And he's the only actor to star in all four 'Dirty Dozen' films.)

The funny teaser turned out to be one of the approximately three actually funny things in the movie. All indications are that nearly everyone on both sides of the camera was under the influence of one of those pharmacological agents that makes nearly anything hilarious. (Except, I hope, for Ernie.) Avoid unless you plan to put yourself in a similar state.