Unlikely to cook up big numbers at the boxoffice, but silly and harmless enough to win over targeted young consumers as a video release, Paramount's "Good Burger" features the comedy team of Kenan and Kel, who have developed a following based on cable channel Nickelodeon's "All That" sketch comedy series.
Screenwriters Dan Schneider, Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, producer Mike Tollin, and director Brian Robbins are all veterans of "All That" and the spinoff series "Kenan & Kel." Although the humor is generally broad, physical and hardly memorable, there are a few inspired moments and several crowd-pleasing cameos.
Ironically, in a film with a simple little-guys-take-on-corporate-Klingons theme, the whole enterprise has a slickness and confidence that generally comes with deep pockets and marketplace savvy. But there's also a conceptual sloppiness, in keeping with a movie about making hamburgers, that defuses one's cynicism, while the leads are indeed talented and display ample big-screen presence.
The scenario pits two foolhardy teens working at non-franchise holdout Good Burger against a mega-hyped monstrosity dubbed Mondo Burger. Ed (Kel Mitchell) is a GB veteran, despite his blissfully guileless way of doing almost everything wrong, who causes summer-vacation-ready Dexter (Kenan Thompson) to crash his mother's car and come begging for a job to pay off the repair bills.
Between scenes of Ed, who is denser than any Pauly Shore-created character, causing endless headaches for the rest of the cast, Dexter tries to cash in on his co-worker's wildly popular special sauce. The evil machinations of rival Mondo's dictatorial manager (Jan Schwieterman) revolve around stealing Ed's recipe and eventually leads to the heroes and an ancient co-worker (Abe Vigoda) landing in the Demented Hills insane asylum.
A running gag has Sinbad playing the fashion-challenged school teacher nemesis of Dexter, while Shaquille O'Neal, not looking particularly thrilled, plays himself in a brief cameo. George Clinton appears in the asylum segment to participate in a cuckooish dance sequence to the musician's own "Knee Deep".
With a gruff voice and energy to pull off the corniest gags, Mitchell provided the film's inspiration with his "All That" schtick: "Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I help you?" Thompson, playing the more devious, but easily rattled Oliver Hardy/Lou Costello role, has plenty of charm to complement his goofier talents for making funny faces.
From the Good Burgermobile to Sinbad's god awful costumes to the exploding Mondo Burger patties in the nutty finale, the production is shipshape, while the lively soundtrack includes tunes by the Pharcyde, Red Kross, Tracie Spencer and 702.
GOOD BURGER
Paramount Pictures
In association with Nickelodeon Movies
A Tollin/Robbins production
Director:Brian Robbins
Producers:Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins
Writers:Dan Schneider, Kevin Kopelow, Heath Seifert
Executive producer:Julia Pistor
Director of photography:Mac Ahlberg
Production designer:Steven Jordan
Editor:Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
Costume designer:Natasha Landau
Music:Stewart Copeland
Casting:Jaki Brown-Karman, Robyn M. Mitchell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ed:Kel Mitchell
Dexter Reed:Kenan Thompson
Mr. Wheat:Sinbad
Otis:Abe Vigoda
Kurt Bozwell:Jan Schwieterman
Running time -- 96 mintues
MPAA rating: PG...
Screenwriters Dan Schneider, Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, producer Mike Tollin, and director Brian Robbins are all veterans of "All That" and the spinoff series "Kenan & Kel." Although the humor is generally broad, physical and hardly memorable, there are a few inspired moments and several crowd-pleasing cameos.
Ironically, in a film with a simple little-guys-take-on-corporate-Klingons theme, the whole enterprise has a slickness and confidence that generally comes with deep pockets and marketplace savvy. But there's also a conceptual sloppiness, in keeping with a movie about making hamburgers, that defuses one's cynicism, while the leads are indeed talented and display ample big-screen presence.
The scenario pits two foolhardy teens working at non-franchise holdout Good Burger against a mega-hyped monstrosity dubbed Mondo Burger. Ed (Kel Mitchell) is a GB veteran, despite his blissfully guileless way of doing almost everything wrong, who causes summer-vacation-ready Dexter (Kenan Thompson) to crash his mother's car and come begging for a job to pay off the repair bills.
Between scenes of Ed, who is denser than any Pauly Shore-created character, causing endless headaches for the rest of the cast, Dexter tries to cash in on his co-worker's wildly popular special sauce. The evil machinations of rival Mondo's dictatorial manager (Jan Schwieterman) revolve around stealing Ed's recipe and eventually leads to the heroes and an ancient co-worker (Abe Vigoda) landing in the Demented Hills insane asylum.
A running gag has Sinbad playing the fashion-challenged school teacher nemesis of Dexter, while Shaquille O'Neal, not looking particularly thrilled, plays himself in a brief cameo. George Clinton appears in the asylum segment to participate in a cuckooish dance sequence to the musician's own "Knee Deep".
With a gruff voice and energy to pull off the corniest gags, Mitchell provided the film's inspiration with his "All That" schtick: "Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I help you?" Thompson, playing the more devious, but easily rattled Oliver Hardy/Lou Costello role, has plenty of charm to complement his goofier talents for making funny faces.
From the Good Burgermobile to Sinbad's god awful costumes to the exploding Mondo Burger patties in the nutty finale, the production is shipshape, while the lively soundtrack includes tunes by the Pharcyde, Red Kross, Tracie Spencer and 702.
GOOD BURGER
Paramount Pictures
In association with Nickelodeon Movies
A Tollin/Robbins production
Director:Brian Robbins
Producers:Mike Tollin, Brian Robbins
Writers:Dan Schneider, Kevin Kopelow, Heath Seifert
Executive producer:Julia Pistor
Director of photography:Mac Ahlberg
Production designer:Steven Jordan
Editor:Anita Brandt-Burgoyne
Costume designer:Natasha Landau
Music:Stewart Copeland
Casting:Jaki Brown-Karman, Robyn M. Mitchell
Color/stereo
Cast:
Ed:Kel Mitchell
Dexter Reed:Kenan Thompson
Mr. Wheat:Sinbad
Otis:Abe Vigoda
Kurt Bozwell:Jan Schwieterman
Running time -- 96 mintues
MPAA rating: PG...
- 7/21/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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