Review: Postal
Director: Uwe Boll (House of the Dead, Bloodrayne, Alone in the Dark)
Writers: Uwe Boll, Bryan C. Knight
Producers: Uwe Boll, Dan Clarke, Shawn Williamson
Starring: Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Chris Coppola, Seymour Cassel, David Huddleston, Larry Thomas
MPAA Rating: R
Running time: 109 min
During a conversation with fellow ATC co-host Colleen, we discussed that when you do something enough times, you’re likely to do it well at some point, even if it’s just accidental. Having only seen a few of Uwe Boll’s films, I can’t speak for the validity of the argument as it relates to Boll’s career, for all I know, he’s been getting better with each new project (I plan on finding out sooner rather than later) but however you cut it, Boll’s new film is good solid entertainment – even if it does cut into crass territory on more than one occasion.
Loosely based on the videogame, Postal has Postal Dude, yes that’s really his name – you should be used to this by now - a trailer park living, recently laid off, ex-con looking for work. A series of crazy events unfold and he ends up hatching a plan with Uncle Dave to steal some dolls, make a fortune and finally escape Paradise for good. Many of the jokes within the film are story related so I’ll leave it vague but let’s just say that Boll and long time collaborator Bryan C. Knight have gone all out here.
Whereas some films, Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay for example, set out to bend the rules of what the public will laugh at, Boll and Knight set out to break them completely – right from the opening scene. Even before the credits roll, they take a gut punch to religion that is so ludicrous, one can’t help but laugh. It’s the kind of joke one expects from Russell Peters or something that one’s likely to hear in the backyard after downing a case of beer. We may laugh because we’re drunk or maybe just uncomfortable but whatever the reason, Boll uses it to his advantage and it works.
Some of the jokes are plain funny and others are funny from recognition. There’s what appears to be a whole load of Boll’s personal experience with living in Vancouver tied into the film, case in point are the Asian driver and the coffee shop “incident” which Vancouverites will immediately relate to, but he’s out for blood and he hits everyone. Nothing is sacred: children, religion, war, sex, guns, violence, everything is a go and that is perhaps the film’s biggest weakness because at parts, it feels as though a scene is just squeezed in there to take a shot at something specific. Postal would have been better served by taking some of those jokes out and saving them for a follow up film or extras on the DVD.
Boll stretches his twenty million dollar budget to the edge. Not only does the film include appearances from some recognizable actors (J.K. Simmons, Seymour Cassel, Erick Avari), he brings on Canadian comic icon Dave Foley for a major role! Sure some of the performances are flat while others are over the top but they all serve the same purpose: exaggeration for comedic effect and it works because the entire film is one big experiment in exaggeration.
Postal is irreverent, unapologetic and “balls to the wall” over the top action/comedy. Sure there are lots of guns and killing but they’re all taken to the point of camp and within the context of the film, it works. It’s one thing not to find this particular brand of comedy funny yet quite another to criticize Boll for making a bad film because Postal is far from bad. A common criticism of Boll’s previous work is that his films are un-intentionally funny and perhaps that has been the problem to date: we have a naturally funny director trying to make serious films. The fact that this is an out-and-out comedy may be the reason it’s so successful. But perhaps this is the beginning of a new era of Boll films. Your guess is as good as mine but I’m willing to find out.
Postal will make some cry with laughter, others with anger and still others with jealous rage but for those that can appreciate it, it’s a serious piece of entertainment.
Click “play” to see the trailer:
Links:
IMDb profile
Official Site
Flixster Profile for Postal
Comment by Andrew James — May 16, 2008
Comment by Marina Antunes — May 16, 2008
Comment by Andy — May 19, 2008
Seems to have trouble getting a theatrical release these days.
Comment by Kurt — May 19, 2008
Comment by John Allison — May 19, 2008
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 19, 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_mW8mBzmHo
Comment by Henrik — May 20, 2008
“Not the Bees!”
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 20, 2008
FYI for Toronto folks:
POSTAL
Rainbow Market Square - (Market Square at Jarvis St.)
Fri: 1:15, 3:45, 6:50, 9:15, night: 11:30
Sat, Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu: 1:15, 3:45, 6:50, 9:15
Comment by Kurt Halfyard — May 23, 2008
Comment by John Allison — May 23, 2008
Granville 7 Cinemas
855 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1K7
604-684-4051
Fri - Thur: 7:00 9:30
Comment by Marina Antunes — May 23, 2008
Comment by Marina Antunes — May 23, 2008
Uwe was such an interesting guy . We got to have a good talk about film after the show.
Too bad only 24 people showed up to see this great film.
Comment by colleeny — May 24, 2008
I will pretty much say anyone who says this good movie is either a) a liar or b) defending it for some strange hipster outsider status as defending a Boll movie.
Sorry, I wanted to believe that maybe Boll could pull something off, but it’s just garbage.
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
Comment by Jonathan B. — August 26, 2008
Comment by Marina Antunes — August 26, 2008
I had a free rental, and I still want my money back.
I can’t belive you’d laugh at anything in this movie. If I were your boss and I rented this because of you, you’d be fired Marina. It’s THAT excruciating to sit through.
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
In all seriousness, the problem with recommending this movie is that unlike some comedies that appeal to everyone, this one seems designed to either piss people off or make them laugh. It happens to make me laugh.
Comment by Marina Antunes — August 26, 2008
It didn’t piss me off because its so bad at pushing buttons. It’s desperate to offend, and that undoes every swastika and penis’ effect. Characters shoot each other randomly, and yet Boll manages to make it seem predictable.
It pissed me off because you can’t even sit through it, its unwatchable, and its mostly due to all the things Boll fails at as a director - comic timing, failing to find a soundtrack that doesnt gnash at your teeth. Generally failing to carry through any joke or concept, and trying to pass off lame ones as if they’re edgy. Like the coffee house, here you have terrible actors carrying out a hack standup concept about people who take too long to decide, and even though its a minute long, it feels like its going on for an hour. I mean, the Onion Movie actually has the same problems here: theres so much setup just for one little punchline, and if the payoff isn’t there, then the whole time is completely wasted.
Bottom line, this is even worse than I expect “An American Carol” to be, and probably even worse than the next 12 ________ Movie parodies.
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
Marina and I see eye to eye more than anyone else at this site, so I’m gonna check it out and expect to like it (likely 3 or 3.5 stars is exactly right).
Comment by Andrew James — August 26, 2008
Andrew, please trust me.
The reason I believed Marina in the first place is because I also saw the first 5 minutes online and thought the exact same thing. It is absolutely all downhill from there.
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
“before Marina’s awful recommendation strikes again!”
It’s probably safe to say comedies are not something I share a liking for with a whole lot of people. Usually what makes me laugh seems to do nothing for anyone else. Another case in point which even Colleen disagreed with: “Hot Rod”.
Comment by Marina Antunes — August 26, 2008
But definitely not for everyone.
Comment by Dale — August 26, 2008
Comment by leeny — August 26, 2008
Comment by leeny — August 26, 2008
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
Comment by Marina Antunes — August 26, 2008
Comment by Goon — August 26, 2008
Comment by Marina Antunes — August 26, 2008