The FAT Website est. 1999
Macgruber is an adaptation of a recurring Saturday Night Live sketch character that is loosely a satirical take on Macguyver. I say ‘loosely’ because beyond adhering to the characteristic of being a resourceful crime solver, theres a fair bit of creative license as to how the rest of his character is portrayed. Will Forte plays him as a glib, narcissistic and occasionally misogynistic gun for hire who has serious dellusions of grandeur about his own capabilities.
Playing the straight man to Macgruber’s crazy is Ryan Phillipe who is a pretty good sport about it all things considered. Or perhaps being depantsed and having a carrot inserted into your buttocks is the standard hazing ritual in Hollywood for someone no longer married to an A-list celebrity like Reese Witherspoon. Together they work to stop an evil archnemesis, played by Val Kilmer, from trying to take over the world.
Macgruber is a very funny film, albeit an incredibly crass one. I think part of the fun is the casting which includes performances from Powers Boothe (24), an overweight Val Kilmer (the best Batman) and a cast of about seven different professional wrestlers. Its short, is almost guaranteed to get a couple of belly laughs out of you and doesn’t overstay its welcome.
