Meatballs

Ivan Reitman, 1979


2/5

          Tripper (Bill Murray) is a fun-seeking camp counselor who is trying to make sure all of the kids at summer camp have a good time, including the outcasts. He tries to boost the confidence of quiet Crockett (Russ Banham), while also trying to win the various competitions against the rival Camp Mohawk.
          This is Bill Murray's first starring role and a predecessor to other successful Reitman film's Stripes, Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters II. It has the typical high jinks and quirky humor that one would come to expect from Murray, but ultimately falls flat because that's really ALL it has going for it. A good portion of the film feels unscripted, which is fine, but there's just not a whole lot there to laugh at. Most of the film feels very dated 34 years later. While Meatballs clearly influenced future Summer Camp films (Heavyweights, Wet Hot American Summer), it's guilty of not maintaining enough structure as its counterparts. It contains a lot of slapstick humor, combined with a lot of physical comedy that treads common themes (bullying the geeks, poking fun at the fat kids, awkward teen romance, social cliques). Groundhog Day, Ghostbusters and pretty much EVERY Wes Anderson film that Bill Murray has been in proves that he needs to have some framework in order to pull it all off. Seeing him dance by himself to disco music is hilarious, don't get me wrong, but not for an hour and a half. For me the more minimalist, restrained Bill Murray has always been the most effective comedically (Life Aquatic, The Royal Tenenbaums, Rushmore). Meatballs is trumped by the laughs in Wet Hot American Summer, likely due to the fact it's main energy source is child acting and not Michael Ian Black or Paul Rudd.
          Meatballs pops up on a lot of lists of people's favorite Summer Camp films. This is likely because there really aren't a lot of good films in that genre. That's surprising, because one would think it could be a very manageable type of film to create seeing as you don't need a big budget for set design (you can just shoot at one rural location) and all you really need is good comedic acting and a good writing staff.

Wet Hot American Summer

David Wain, 2001

3/5

It's the last day of camp and the hormones are running high. The camp counselors are in a heated offensive to hook up with a member of the opposite sex before everyone has to pack up and go home. While not everyone may have the same luck in the romance department, they are all pursuing closure in one form or another.
In this satirical take on 1980's summer camp films (written by original staff members of the cult-classic MTV series The State), WHO KNEW that all you really need is some isolation in a camp cabin and a couple sticks of gum? You are immediately served with some familiar faces (Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper, Michael Ian Black, David Hyde Pierce, Amy Poehler), and you will continue to see more throughout the film. There is a youthful innocence to the camp staff, and everyone is likable in some way. The stand-out performance is by Christopher Meloni, who plays Gene, someone you rarely see playing a comedic role. Seeing Molly Shannon made me miss Molly Shannon! Be prepared to witness so much tongue-kissing that it leaves you wondering how fast the mononucleosis spread throughout the set. After watching I wondered what I would think of this film had I seen it ten years ago. Maybe I've become jaded... or GROWN-UP - but I feel I would have enjoyed this film much more when I was younger. That was a constant thought throughout: "Okay, that's funny even if I'm not laughing". I enjoyed The State back in the day, so that was a selling point for me here. It's not a perfect film, but its not meant to be. Wain succeeds in exaggerating some the common themes of the 80's summer camp genre (teen love, social stigmas, nerd outcasts, montages). What's admirable about this film is it doesn't take itself seriously. It has its flaws and it knows it does. So what if for every funny scene there is another to match it that trips over itself? While I wasn't amazed by it, nor laughing every second, I have to admit that I was entertained. It's an important film that has its place.

Moonrise Kingdom

Wes Anderson, 2012

4/5

First off, I'll just say I'm a big Wes Anderson fan and I'll see anything he makes. Some say hes over-rated. I think some people just want to have a contrarian attitude with him. He creates these beautiful worlds in his films that I would love to spend some time in. This film is full of that same innocence, colorful, dry & quirky elements that are in all of his other films. They jump right into it with the camera panning through the summer camp with Ed Norton inspecting the various scout stations. The camp is settled on a fictional New England island. I wish it was a real place. I'd spend my summers there.