Suburban Knights (2011)
Some may not know of this film. Some might disagree that is really a movie. Some might say it's not worth reviewing. To those people, I say bugger off.
To the uninitiated, Channel Awesome is a site whose sub-sites, including Blistered Thumbs and That Guy With The Glasses, host a number of reviews for video games, film, comics, television, music, and almost anything else they can think of. I am a huge fan of the site, and admitted in my first post that the producers on the site were my inspiration to start writing my own reviews.
That said every year the producers of ThatGuyWithTheGlasses.com get together to film an anniversary video. The first year it was a twenty minute brawl video pitting the critics, led by site founder Doug Walker's Nostalgia Critic character, against the gamers, led by James Rolfe's Angry Video Game Nerd. The second year was the feature length parody Kickassia, in which the Nostalgia Critic leads a number of his fellow critics in the invasion of the micro nation of Molassia, which they take over and rename Kickassia. For the third year, they topped themselves with what I consider some of their best work yet, the fantasy parody Suburban Knights.
Yes it is filmed with hand held cameras, simple effects and minimal budget, but the film has a lot of heart and the producers really tried their best to make an enjoyable film, and I think they succeeded. Doug and his brother Rob wrote a hilarious script that pokes fun at itself and the personalities of the various reviewers, but unlike Kickassia, the film is much more self-contained so that even people with little knowledge of the reviewers can watch it.
And seeing as this film and it's creators kick started my reviewing, it's high time I gave them their due.
Plot
The film begins with a stoner picking up a hitchhiker that looks like Morpheus from the Matrix joined a reggae group. The mysterious man questions the driver on technology and the current technological age, and, displeased with the responses he gets, kills the man by making his head explode, followed by the car after he has exited it. We then cut to video game reviewer Angry Joe, real name Joe Vargas, joyfully walking up the street with a note about a free car. He enters the house addressed on the card, only to find the other reviewers, suckered in with similar notes. They talk among themselves about what crazy idea The Nostalgia Critic has cooked up this time, and we already get a feel for certain characters, such as British film reviewer Film Brain, a.k.a Matthew Buck, who is the Critic's fanboy and is thus excited to be there, and z-grade movie reviewer Obscurus Lupa, a.k.a Allison Pregler, who tells Joe and others that they will make the Critic pay for this. The aforementioned Critic arrives to greet the angry producers, and explains he tricked them as his true reason for bringing them there would not have been believed. He shows them a news report from the 1980s about a missing Dungeons and Dragons aficionado named Chuck Jaffers, played by Rob Walker, and something called Malachite's Hand. The Critic reveals he has a copy of a map that Jaffers made that will lead to the mysterious item, though unlike others who believe they can use it's magical properties for gain, The disbelieving Critic figures they can charge people to see it and thus become rich.
The downside is to understand the map those following it need to dress as fantasy characters as the riddles that guide the way are fantasy related. After some convincing the group agree to meet the following day, and The Critic prepares his own costume only to be interrupted by site regular Ma-Ti, from the 1990s cartoon Captain Planet, played by producer Bhargav Dronamraji, who wises to join the quest, only for the Critic to trick him into leaving. The next day the house is filled with the various reviewers in costumes ranging from Lord of the Rings characters to Peter Pan to Conan to Jareth The Goblin King, with the Critic as Link of The Legend of Zelda series leading them. Splitting up, with The Critic leading one side using a copy of the map, and reviewer Spoony, a.k.a Noah Antwiler, as Gandalf leading the rest with the original map. Both groups encounter varying dangers along the way, including three cloaked warriors known only as The Cloaks. At first both teams shrug off the obstacles thinking it is all a game, but their views change as the dangers become more apparent- and in the case of the second team, after an entertaining epic battle in a children's playground. They soon realize not only is it no game, but Malachite's Hand is real, and Malachite himself is looking for his lost weapon, so that he may destroy the world of technology and replace it with one of magic. It's up to the producers to find the gauntlet first and stop him, if they don't kill one another first.
Favorite Character
As I'm a big fan of the site and the majority of producers who starred in this film, picking just one is difficult. However, I find that while I'm not a huge fan of his videos, in this film my favorite performance comes from film reviewer Phelous, also know as fellow Canadian Phelan Porteous, in his turn as the Rock Biter from The Neverending Story films. In his reviews Phelous tends to be a bit manic, but here he goes full out, from his first in costume appearance claiming two action figures he is carrying are alive and frightening The Nostalgia Critic, to claiming they are telling him to kill members of the group. At no point is anyone sure if he is acting or truly insane, and by the time it is revealed which, most think otherwise and are thus truly surprised. Even watching it the first time I wasn't exactly sure where his character was going, which made it fun to watch as every time he is on screen in costume he is even more over the top then before. Runner ups would have to be the villainous Malachite, played by Orlando Belisle Jr., a friend of the Walkers, who remains deathly serious throughout the film, and is actually quite a menacing figure, at least until he has a humorous character break during the film's climax, along with The Cinema Snob, played by Brad Jones, and his turn as Indiana Jones, spouting off various quotes from the series regardless of whether they make any sense in the current situation, and Obscurus Lupa playing against type as Snow White- after watching plenty of her videos, it seems weird to see her acting that girly, but it's also hilarious, especially when her attititude breaks through- her 'lady lesson' to the Critic being the best example. In reality I could likely find good things to say about every one in the film because they all have great moments.
Favorite Line
In the group commentary available on youtube, one quote is pointed out by comic reviewer Linkara (Lewis Lovhaug) as his favorite in the film, and I have to agree with him, as even after multiple viewings it still manages to crack me up. Throughout the film, Angry Joe, dressed as The Princess Bride's Inigo Montoya, keeps screwing up Montoya's iconic line; "My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die", never getting the father part right. It is commented on but brushed off until the second group reaches the last place on the map, a house owned by a woman played by Team NChick member Elisa Hansen, and Joe says the following
"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my hamster"
followed by the rest correcting him, and The Cinema Snob angrily declaring "That's not even a person!"
The line is something that needs to be heard to be appreciated, because it just flows so well. You know Joe is going to screw it up, but how he does and the response it gets him are amazing. Ironically, in the same commentary, Linkara mentions that his least favorite line is also uttered by The Cinema Snob moments later, meaning he has the best and worst lines in the film within minutes of each other. Still, I can forgive his second line because the aforementioned line is so awesome it eclipses the bad. The film has plenty of other great lines but this one stands out.
Favorite Scene
During the battle between the Spoony led team and the three cloaked warriors on the playground, anime reviewer Marzgurl, a.k.a Kaylyn Dicksion, dressed as Princess Mononoke, drops her spear and falls backwards onto a slide. The Cinema Snob leaps to save her, and in an homage to a similar scene in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, begs her to give her his other hand rather then reach for the fallen weapon. The scene uses the same dialogue and allows for some semi-dramatic tension, until you remember it is taking place on a playground. Mazrgurl slips from Snob's hand and falls down the slide with a scream and Snob yelling her name, until she reaches the bottom of the tiny slide and shrugs it off, followed by Snob simply stating "This is getting silly". The scene works because again, it is a moment of wannabe dramatic tension in a setting and a film that is played almost exclusively for laughs. We know Marzgurl is fine, she's on a slide, but she and the Cinema Snob play it so seriously that we have a moment of emotional investment, which dissipates quickly and allows for a good laugh at the whole situation. The film has plenty of straight up funny moments, and a truly dramatic conclusion, but for me it is the mock drama of this scene that sealed the film for me- after this scene the rest could have been utter shit and I would not have cared because this scene was enough to make me smile.
Conclusion
Suburban Knights is not a big budget, or even low budget film. It's a no budget film made by people who make internet reviews, and with that in mind, the film is actually really well shot. If you go in expecting something professional you will be disappointed, but if you go in knowing that it's a film made by regular people, or know the site and the kind of videos on it, then you'll be fine. This is a film for the fans first and foremost, a way for the reviewers to have fun filming something for themselves and for the people who follow their videos. Watching it you can feel the fun the Walker's must have had in writing certain scenes and lines, and in the interactions between various producers you get a feeling that these people enjoy working with one another and like what they do. Having watched the making of feature on the DVD, I know the film had plenty of setbacks and tensions mounted, but the cast came together and persevered, which only makes me respect them even more for sticking it out and finishing the film. I enjoyed watching it when it premiered online last summer, and I enjoy watching the copy I now own. If you know the site, you should have watched this already, and if you haven't what are you waiting for? If you don't know the site I still say check it out, because it is not only an entertaining piece of work, but shows you that normal people can make good films with limited resources, and who knows, you might enjoy it and decide to check out the website- either way, it spreads the word and supports the site, and both of those are fine by me.
5 Magic Gauntlets out of 5
That's all out me for this time, until next time, I'm the Drew and I Be Awesome- Just like this movie.
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