| The Animal |
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| 1/2 |
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| Rating: Mediocre Distributor: Columbia Pictures MPAA Rating: PG-13 Running Length: 1 hour, 24 minutes Release Date: June 1st, 2001 Genre: Comedy Director: Luke Greenfield Cast: Rob Schneider, Colleen Haskell, Edward Asner, Guy Torry, Michael Caton, Louis Lombardi, and John C. McGinley. Also, cameos by Norm MacDonald, and Adam Sandler. |
| Plot: Marving Mange (Rob Schneider) is considered to be a life long loser. He wants to be a cop, but cannot pass the physical training courses required and works as an assistant to the police force. After a car accident Mange almost dies, but is saved by a scientist. The scientist is working to create an animal-human, combining animal parts with a human body. The scientist applies this method on Mange, making him part human, many parts animal. Mange now has odd skills that might just help him get a job as a police officer, and win the heart of an animal rights activist (Colleen Haskell). |
| picture above from www.ew.com/ew/allabout/0,9930,20088~11~~animal,00.html |
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| Critique: The Animal is an awful movie, and is poorly done in every category of filmmaking. Nonetheless, it is tolerable in its mediocrity because it is not a gross-out comedy, and goes against the ridiculous modern trend. Also, it has certain moments where it is genuinely funny. However, most of the time the film is tedious and has an amateur quality. Although Rob Schneider brings an honest, humble personality to his character, he has no acting endurance. Schneider is not meant for a full length cinematic experience; he simply cannot support a whole movie as a protagonist. Although he was funny in Saturday Night Live sketches, his comic abilities are strained in an experience as long as a film. Additionally, the direction is aimless and weak, and the script is very unintelligent. The conflict, climax and plot points in general are unprofessional. There is nothing particularly intriguing about The Animal, and it has no ability to draw its viewer in. Nonetheless, the film seems aware that it is riding a very low style of humor, even though it avoids grosse-out material. It is never arrogant, and seems accepting of its place in cinema. Some may be amused by the mild and honest comedy, but I felt the film was too poorly crafted to bring enough enjoyment to its audience. The gravity of its awful filmmaking is obvious and disenchanting. The charm the film could have had is crushed in the end by its amateur execution. In conclusion, The Animal truly means well, but is simply a terrible film. It is weak and uninspiring, despite some affecting jokes. It could have been worse, but I still advise not seeing The Animal. review by supernothingman |