Ingredients: Pauly Shore. Directed by Pauly Shore. Run time: 80 minutes. Rated: R.
At First Bite: I saw this on a list of upcoming DVDs a few weeks ago, and decided to put it atop my Blockbuster queue because of the premise: Pauly Shore goes to Africa to adopt a child.
I won't say I'm a big fan of Shore, but I do own a copy of SON IN LAW.
While spending time with his neice and nephew, Shore comes to the realization that he's missing out on unconditional love. He doesn't want to get married, but figures traveling to Africa to adopt a kid is the next best idea since he doesn't have a vagina.
If Angelina Jolie and Madonna can do it, why can't he?
He roams the streets and asks the people he meets if he can take their children back to America to give them a better life. The locals think he's crazy.
So, he finds an orphanage that allows him to audition three children: Odwa, Summila (Somila) and Faith. He's allowed to take each one out for a 24-hour test drive.
How will these kids react to a day with Pauly?
Better yet, will the Weasel become a father by the end of the trip?
Tough to Swallow: When we meet the second orphan, his name appears on the screen as Summila. In the closing credits, his name is spelled Somila.
The info section of the movie's official site mentions "Peter Mate," who Shore calls "the P Diddy of Africa." He is credited as Peter Mata.
In the Cambodia Crew section of the closing credits, the credit Segment Producer is misspelled as Segement Producer.
Pauly gives special thanks in the closing credits to "ALL THE KID'S PARENTS." It should be "ALL THE KIDS' PARENTS."
It would have been nice to have a director's commentary on the DVD.
Something to Chew On: There are 8 deleted scenes/outtakes after the closing credits. So, the movie actually runs just over 85 minutes instead of 80.
The movie is set and shot entirely in South Africa.
This is the third movie Shore has written, directed and produced.
Shore came up with the idea for the movie while in Africa doing stand-up. He storyboarded the entire movie in his hotel room.
Shore threatened to sue Sacha Baron Cohen for stealing his adoption idea for a scene in BRÜNO, but later claimed he was just messing with people.
Right before the closing credits, Shore acknowledges that adoption is "no laughing matter" and directs viewers to http://www.unicef.org/ for more information.
The film currently has a 4.6 user rating on IMDb.com (91 votes).
Sides: The DVD includes about an hour of bonus footage (55:17). The footage is split into 26 scenes.
Aftertaste: This mockumentary has its moments. It's not as edgy as BORAT or BRÜNO, but I don't think Shore wanted it to be. It's also nowhere near as funny as either of those movies.
I mentioned before that I love the premise. What really works for the movie is Shore's interactions with the locals. Most of them have no idea who he is, and aren't quite sure what to make of him. They're very candid. One man questions Shore's audacity when he says wants to give a child a better life. Another guy, Peter Mata (possibly Mate or Maté), is a real character.
The first child, Odwa, is a scene stealer. The other two kids don't really talk, so Shore relies on scripted moments that fall flat (if only because you know they're not real). **SPOILER ALERT** The three children and the orphanage director are all actors. Is that really a spoiler?
There are some voiceover jokes that are funny. One referencing Beyoncé made me laugh out loud (describing the woman he meets on top of the mountain). It still makes me laugh just thinking about it.
The movie does show off some beautiful locations, e.g., the views from the hotel, tram ride and safari.
Pauly Shore can be annoying, so I can imagine 80 minutes might be too much for some viewers.
Personally, I found the movie funny (and sometimes sincere) enough, and 80 minutes is nothing. I mean, have you seen ALL ABOUT STEVE? That is 99 minutes of pure dreck, and it has at least 10 name actors.
Grab some grindage and prepare to waste just over an hour of your life, buuuuddy.
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