First, full disclosure. I don't like Al Franken. I've never liked Al Franken. I don't think Al Franken is funny. So it's unlikely that I'd ever like an Al Franken movie.
But even setting that aside, "Stuart Saves His Family" is another in a line of Saturday Night Live acts that tried to translate into a movie and didn't make it. ("The Blues Brothers" is the only one that did.) "Stuart" stands in good company with "It's Pat," "Wayne's World," and "The Coneheads." Why didn't these four acts make good movies? Lots of reasons, I'm sure, but the biggest is that -- except for the Coneheads -- the basic premise just wasn't that funny to start with. And stretching a mildly funny 5-minute SNL skit into a feature-length movie doesn't make a mildly funny movie. It makes a pathetic, tedious movie, and that's just what "Stuart" is.
Even though that's what I expected, I watched "Stuart" with a fellow 12-Step friend because we both thought we'd at least get some good 12-Step insider jokes. But "Stuart" doesn't even have that. And after about 45 minutes, we turned to each other and without speaking a word, nodded agreement and turned it off.
If you *really like* Al Franken, you *might* like "Stuart." If not, run away. Run like the wind.
But even setting that aside, "Stuart Saves His Family" is another in a line of Saturday Night Live acts that tried to translate into a movie and didn't make it. ("The Blues Brothers" is the only one that did.) "Stuart" stands in good company with "It's Pat," "Wayne's World," and "The Coneheads." Why didn't these four acts make good movies? Lots of reasons, I'm sure, but the biggest is that -- except for the Coneheads -- the basic premise just wasn't that funny to start with. And stretching a mildly funny 5-minute SNL skit into a feature-length movie doesn't make a mildly funny movie. It makes a pathetic, tedious movie, and that's just what "Stuart" is.
Even though that's what I expected, I watched "Stuart" with a fellow 12-Step friend because we both thought we'd at least get some good 12-Step insider jokes. But "Stuart" doesn't even have that. And after about 45 minutes, we turned to each other and without speaking a word, nodded agreement and turned it off.
If you *really like* Al Franken, you *might* like "Stuart." If not, run away. Run like the wind.