Is there really such a thing as collective hysteria? After sitting through a recent screening of Will Ferrell’s new film Get Hard, I would have to say yes.
From the movie’s juvenile name to its lowest common denominator sense of humour, it pulls no punches in its attempt to make you laugh and damn it if it doesn’t at times succeed. Without the collective energy of a full theatre though, I doubt the effect would be quite the same.
The story revolves around Ferrell’s character James King (a Stock Market Guru) who is framed for a crime he didn’t commit and sentenced to go to prison. This storyline has been utilized many times before but seldom in such a transparent way. This is definitely turn off the brain stuff. There is also the feeling that the filmmakers couldn’t have stuffed any more clichés moments into the script if they had used a shovel.
The black verses white stereotypes pile up so quickly, it becomes a very easy guessing game of what will happen next. This kind of involvement leads one to find the humour in the most banal of situations and get caught up in the group dynamic. When those around you are convulsing with laughter, it makes it so much easier to join in.
There are films that demand to be seen in the cinema because of their epic cinematography and then there are the ones due to the immenseness of the filmmaker’s vision. Get Hard squeaks into one of those selective groups because who doesn’t like sitting in the dark laughing at the stupidest jokes with a group of fellow fools.
Rob Hudson
www.gethardmovie.com
