Comedy troupe “The Tenderloins” make their big-screen debut in director Chris Henchy’s Impractical Jokers: The Movie from Funny or Die and truTv. In 1994, four friends, Joe Gatto, Sal Vulcano, Brian Quinn, and James Murray, were involved in an incident at a Paula Abdul concert. The incident results in the group deciding that videotaping dares is an excellent way of making a living, and the show Impractical Jokers is born.
Years later, the show is a success, and in an ironic twist of fate, the foursome runs into Abdul at a local Red Lobster. Abdul recognizes the group from their hit comedy show and not from the 1994 incident. Abdul invites the group to a party in Miami, with full VIP access, but only gives them three passes. The group then decides to drive cross-country to Miami, competing in a series of pranks, with the loser not going to the concert.
Adaptations of TV shows into movies is nothing new, however with reality-based shows, the question of, “why would you pay for something in the theater, that you can watch at home” arises? For it’s a simple answer, there’s nothing like the big screen. While I consider myself more of a casual fan of the show Impractical Jokers, my wife, and son are faithful viewers of the show.
Walking into the film, I generally knew what the concept of the show was and expected to see a ninety-minute adaption of the series, with the envelope-pushing a bit further. To my surprise, screenwriters Chris Henchy, Joe Gatto, James Murray, Brian Quinn, Sal Vulcano craft a successful linear story centered on the show’s concept.
The plot is a simplistic one, granted movies like this don’t need to be overly complicated. However, the pranks in the film as the friends try to one-up another are what saves the film. Some of the capers in the movie include an Atlanta Hawks interview, a tiger in a Motel Room, and reading fake eulogies on the National Mall. One of the pranks that feature one of the Jokers as “Bat Boy” is worth the price of admission alone. I also enjoyed the extended cameos for Paula Abdul and Jaden Smith, both of whom are clearly in on the jokes.
The one area where Impractical Jokers: The Movie doesn’t succeed is the backstory for the group. Having the group portray the younger version of themselves is a mistake as the wigs and make-up have the quality of a high school drama production. While I understand this is a lower budget film, I’m sure the studio could’ve found lookalikes for the group. I would’ve also liked to see all of the Joker’s families in the film. The only Jokers who get somewhat of a backstory are Brian Quinn and Sal Vulcano. There’s a running joke throughout the film that tries to paint James Murray as a mysterious figure, and while the set-up is interesting, we never get a punchline ending.
Nevertheless, I do recommend that fans of the show make the trip to the theater to see Impractical Jokers: The Movie. The film stays true to it shows roots, while providing enough laughs for novice viewers.
Final Grade C+
Hip-hop mogul Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson continues his successful relationship as an executive producer with the Starz network through the new series “Fightland,” created by Daniel Fajemisin-Duncan and Marlon Smith.
This week’s Slow Jam Saturday pick takes us back to 2008 to show some love to Chauncey Hannibal, a member of Blackstreet, and his solo track “Everyday Is Your Birthday.” Chauncey’s vocals were featured prominently on the group’s first four albums until he began his solo career in 2005. He initially signed with Flipmode Entertainment, and “Everyday Is Your Birthday” was the first single from his project titled “Church Boy,” although the actual album was never released.
As my loyal readers know, one of my passions during my Air Force enlistment was being a DJ. Since I was stationed in the UK, it was sometimes hard to keep up with the music scene, as there was no satellite radio, the club scene rarely showcased new music, and I missed out on shows like 106 & Park. Often, I would buy new CDs based solely on their covers and find a way to incorporate the music into my sets, particularly if the artist caught my attention. One such artist was Brooke Valentine, who is this week’s pick for Second Listen Sunday.
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