The FilmNerds Blog

Back from a longer than intended absence (in which time one summer movie was released with minimal fanfare — “Robin Hood” — and if you’ll permit me a one-phrase review, I would say that it wasn’t as bad as you’ve heard but suffers from a crippling lack of purpose or novelty), as work responsibilities piled up over a short amount of time.

“MACGRUBER”

Starring Will Forte, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Phillippe, Powers Boothe, Maya Rudolph and Val Kilmer

Directed by Jorma Taccone

Probably as much of a followup film to the underrated “Hot Rod” as we’re ever going to get from The Lonely Island, director Jorma Taccone — one-third of the comedy group responsible for the album “Incredibad” and those digital shorts on Saturday Night Live — packs the very silly “MacGruber” full of absurd gags and ’80s action-movie humor. While it’s not as frequently hilarious as “Hot Rod,” “MacGruber” gets the job done more often than not, with some over-the-top silliness courtesy of scenarists Taccone, star Will Forte and SNL writer John Solomon.

As you probably know, “MacGruber” springs from those 30-second sketches on SNL starring Forte, Kristen Wiig and usually whatever guest star is hosting the show that week, in which the MacGyver roman a clef MacGruber (Forte) is faced with the task of defusing a bomb, and, inevitably, fails to do so. So you would be forgiven for questioning how such a skit translates to a 90-odd minute film, but let’s just say that it’s not all explosives humor and leave it at that — “MacGruber” has the ’80s action movie in its crosshairs (so to speak) and skewers it with increasing absurdity.

MacGruber (no first name is ever given) is a former Special Forces guy called back into action by his former C.O., General Faith (Powers Boothe), after the heinous Dieter von Cunth (Val Kilmer, in “Top Secret” mode) allegedly seizes a nuclear warhead. Cunth is the same person who killed MacGruber’s wife (Maya Rudolph) — during their wedding, on the altar — so this time, it’s personal.

With a crack team of badasses — and then, following an amazing sight gag, with the young, by-the-book Lt. Dixon Piper (Ryan Phillippe) and Vicki St. Elmo (Wiig) — MacGruber sets out to “pound some Cunth.” And that’s all you need to know, and hopefully that line from the movie will give you a general idea of the sort of humor contained herein, because the plot is as loose as I described above, and really just exists to hang all sorts of scatalogical, sexual and violent jokes upon.

Your mileage may vary, but the absurd non sequiturs and sudden bursts of violence had me giggling like a maniac in the theater. Will Forte is a comic maelstrom, chewing every bit of scenery in his path, and his costars are wise enough to back off and let him do his thing (particularly the comparatively restrained Wiig, who doesn’t play quite to her manic highs here, but is funny in a more restrained way).

I’m not saying “MacGruber” is a perfect comedy, but considering the lows we’ve been through with Saturday Night Live-based films, you can pretty much rest assured this is among the best of them.

*** (out of four)

Tomorrow: A late review of “Shrek Forever After,” followed soon after by reviews of “Sex and the City 2″ and “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,” now that I actually have a bit of free time from my other job.