Mascots (2016) Reviews

• Disappointingly by-the-numbers...

  rurquhart-22016-10-14

  Like many, I'm sure, I was excitedly awaiting the next Christopher Guest movie - and coming in to this one, all indications (cast, premise, trailer, Netflix involvement) were encouraging. I was genuinely excited to sit down and watch it. Sadly, Mascots does not deliver against the high standard Guest fans have come to expect. It's essentially Best In Show without the charm, spontaneity or laughs. Although you have to believe all involved wanted to make something special, the inescapable lingering impression is of a very distinct 'Guest' formula (specifically, the variation of it applied in Best In Show) being reapplied with a (slightly) different cast and setting, but *without* inspiration or enthusiasm. The character introductions, the first-night cocktail party, the build-up to the event, the event itself, and the where-are-they now recap: *all* these elements were there, which is not necessarily a problem, but without some added magic (e.g., some innovative spark, something that creatively/emotionally unites the various story threads, or even just some consistent unexpected laughs) you're left with a pretty joyless, formulaic exercise in painting by numbers. I kept waiting and wanting to be emotionally invested in the movie, but never was. Someone won the gold Fluffy - but so what - someone had to. The 'network people' thread, set up as something that would have a huge bearing on the Fluffies' future, went nowhere. NOWHERE! They turned out to be from Burbank, not NYC (this demonstrates the standard of the jokes), and were then shunted aside to deal with the degenerate in the rabbit suit. We never saw them again. Oh well. It's as though, in the absence of any really interesting new ideas, Guest has just returned to an old well and repeated himself, and expected a paying audience to accept it. It felt like a contractual obligation. It's an unfortunate thing. I love so many of his earlier movies so much that I can't/won't give up hope. I just hope his next one delivers a bit more, well, entertainment.

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• Always love Christopher Guest's movies

  suerutford2016-10-16

  We were waiting for this movie to become available after seeing some previews and were not disappointed. I was surprised at the awful reviews--maybe the humor is just too subtle for some folks. It was clever and amusing, with a lot of little amusing details. It's not my favorite of his movies (that would be Best in Show), but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to fans. Fred Willard's character is even more cringe-making than usual, Parker Posey plays pathetically un-self-aware women with such skill, and I really admire the willingness of this group of actors to make themselves pretty unattractive and awkward in the service of the faux-documentary style.

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• Keep the Mask On

  BlueFairyBlog2016-10-31

  Christopher Guest has always made seriously hilarious mockumentaries. Beginning with the classic comedy "This is Spinal Tap," Guest has riffed on every subject from local theater, to dog shows, and here he is taking on the world of mascots. He assembled some of his favorite actors (Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Ed Begley Jr., and John Michael Higgins to name a few) and has released his newest film "Mascots," on Netflix. Though Guest uses the same great set-up as many of his past films, sometimes tried and true methods are more tired and false. While I have enjoyed all six of Guest's written mockumentaries, this film is a bore-fest from start to finish.For one thing it doesn't feel like a mockumentary. There's too much polish and obvious talking heads flavoring this film for it to feel like anything other than a run of the mill, factory made comedy. Though there are a couple of chuckles to be had at the witty banter, there's nothing truly incisive about the commentary of this film. The world of mascoting might be small, like the dog show circuit, but it's not one that truly lends to a lot of social discourse, or any true characterizations of small town America, which is Guest's bread and butter. It wouldn't surprise me if the entire reason Guest chose mascots is part of the film concerning the Furry community, which is the only truly interesting bit of the film. Some aspects of the film feel really stale and out of place. The entire plot turn where Cindi Babineaux's school's past is called into question, was clearly unneeded, because it does nothing but hinder the plot and confuse the audience. It's also unclear why Fred Willard and Brad Williams conversation needs to happen at all, except to show a character out of their depth. Actually a lot of the cast feels unneeded or written poorly, including the married couple, The Fist and his straight man, and all the side mascots. The routines aren't even really about supporting a team. They're often influenced more by vaudeville, or clown culture, which doesn't fit into the film at all. Honestly, this would have made for a better television show. It would be great to see these characters in a more in-depth way, and really explain mascot culture for those of us completely in the dark. Though it's clear much of the cast is trying their darndest to recapture the old magic of "Waiting for Guffman," and "A Mighty Wind," this is probably the lowest Christopher Guest has ever sunk. (Barring "Almost Heroes" of course.)

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• Good Stuff

  wiggityp2016-10-18

  I'm not sure why others who claim to be a fan of Guest's previous work didn't like this one so much. I thought it was great and adequately satisfied my need for more Guest mockumentaries. Don't go in expecting it to be another Guffman or Best In Show and you'll probably dig it. The only thing I wish would have been different is if it had had Eugene Levy and Catherine O'Hara in it. I wouldn't say it's the best of Guest's ouevre but if you really like his stuff I can't imagine not liking this too.

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• I liked "Best In Show" but I'm not sure we needed this

  cliftonofun2017-12-27

  I really liked "Best In Show"...but I'm not sure that it needed to be re-made with mascots. There are some fun moments and performances here, but it feels less real and less sympathetic to the characters. Guest brought the same sensibility, but not as much heart.