By now, you've probably walked the crowded aisles of your local rental store every now and then, and in doing so you've come to recognize a wide variety of subgenres within larger ones such as comedy. Within the range of these mini genres we come across buddy cop flicks, slapstick mayhem, and of course the college favorite - screwball stoner flicks. Let's Go To Prison falls into the latter category.
In the defense of the movie, it never promises itself to be any more than what it is. It's honest and it delivers the appropriate number of laughs for a movie of its caliber. What that really says - I don't know.
John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard in a role with a verrrrry clever name...) is a product of the system, the state correctional system. How nice for him. He's lead a life of continuous reentry into local penitentiaries for crimes ranging from armed robbery to grand theft auto. And you know what? He doesn't really mind. This is not to say he doesn't hold grudges against the judges who put him there, but he recognizes the system for what it is and finds his niche. On the other side of the spectrum we have Nelson Biederman IV (Will Arnett, Arrested Development's Gob) the son of the first judge to ever sentence Mr. Lyshitski to any term in prison...ever. Nelson is hated by his colleagues and consequently doesn't stand much of a legal chance when John enacts a series of events to have Mr. Biederman suffer for the "crimes" of his father. So, after a misinterpretation of Nelson frantically rifling through a pharmacy in search for a replacement inhaler before his throat swells to the inevitable crescendo that is death, he finds himself in jail.
Here's where the traditional fish out of water scenario kicks in and the laughs truly begin. Nelson finds himself the cellmate of none other than John Lyshitski who's had himself arrested purely for the sake of torturing the son of his past grudge. With Will Arnett playing the part of Nelson, I really hoped the movie would pick up substantial comedy steam, but alas, it usually just falls flat on its face like an inmate trying to pick up the soap in the shower.
Luckily, a lethal injection of humor comes, unexpectedly I might add, from Chi McBride who becomes Nelson's new jail lover at Lyshitski's behest. Usually, as an actor that takes on more serious roles, Chi wouldn't seem to have the comedy chops to pull it off...but he does. Quite well, too. The scene where his flirtation with Nelson commences in the shower is hilarious, not only due to the actors, but what your average college student has heard about prison showers. What's funnier than a large black man making a sexually suggestive remark and then following it up with a dainty squeeze on a palm-size rubber ducky? As far as the rest of the film is concerned...not much. Actually nothing. That moment is the topper.
I expected more out of Will Arnett, especially after his strong comedic presence on Arrested Development. His scenes with Dax Shepard are bland, mainly due to the other actor's inability to due much at all in the thespian vein, but also, and this had to come out eventually...due to bad writing. Funny stars can only do so much to improve upon material. Luckily, Nelson's lawyer, played by Bob Odenkirk (of HBO's Mr. Show) rescues a good portion of the comedic moments by playing the worst lawyer any man could ask for.
As I said before, Dax Shepard isn't much of a talent and sadly the film is told through his perspective...which means lots of Dax. How unfortunate, as the moments that could have been funny end up with poor delivery. On the other hand, Chi's supporting role is hilarious; a huge black man who wants to own Nelson in a biblical way, and yet wants the relationship to be meaningful. That was a nice touch. Considering Chi McBride has plenty of talent to help cover up the shortcomings of Dax, the film almost seems to teeter on the brink of becoming a funny movie...but its just not enough to recover from the tailspin inducing first half of this flick.
Unfortunately, all the stuff I just criticized doesn't matter if you're the intended audience of this movie. If you're a college frat boy this is exactly what you've wanted. You'll be overjoyed with drug references, dick and fart jokes, etc. Throw galore in there somewhere. But for those of you more discerning just avoid Let's Go To Prison; there's nothing much there and you're better off renting Ernest Goes to Jail purely because the nostalgia factor will be more fulfilling.
"Let's Go to Prison" opens November 17, 2006 and is rated R. Comedy. Directed by Bob Odenkirk. Written by Ben Garant, Thomas Lennon, Michael Patrick Jann. Starring Chi McBride, David Koechner, Dax Shepard, Dylan Baker, Will Arnett.
