I was so enthralled a half-hour into this thing that I sent out premature emails exclaiming that my dream had come true: Jürgen in a comedy, at last! And a GOOD one!
Alas, further investigation revealed that ELITE is not a bona fide comedy, which put me in a real bind in regard to the review and rating. Frankly, I don't know what this type of movie is supposed to be called, either in specific or generic terms. After mulling it over, I've decided to blame the movie for that. What we have here is something that should have been a comedy. To a large extent it's a sendup of every high-tech, high-energy international intrigue action picture that's ever been made. The caliber of outright idiocy in this would have qualified it as one of the Best Bad Jürgen Movies Ever if the filmmakers had meant one second of it, but clearly they didn't; ELITE is idiotic on purpose. Bad movies don't consciously make fun of themselves, and this one does that. It's supposed to be funny, and it is funny. But then... it's not.
Eventually enough serious personal drama is injected into the story that "comedy" no longer fits as an appropriate label. But "comedy-drama" doesn't work either. EDUCATING RITA is a comedy-drama. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS is a comedy-drama. ELITE isn't. It's just... sort of confused.
The drama part was all right with me, actually. Maybe it shouldn't have been. But after the chick says she put a tracking device on a badguy by feeding it to him in a piece of cheesecake, if I stick around after that I stick around with the understanding that this movie is the film equivalent of Calvinball. Hijack a battleship? Okay. The guys who can sabotage an armed missile don't know how to operate a radio? Okay. Toss in a little heartfelt angst? Okay. Noah could have showed up to load all the animals onto that battleship two by two, assisted by the California Raisins, and it would have been okay.
Still, that drama stuff showing up fairly late in the game was a real disconnect in the tone of the film, and amounted to an identity crisis. More so since it kinda waffled back and forth between the two modes after that; it just didn't mesh well. I would be more than happy to see a strictly lighthearted film by these people, and I think I'd be happy to see a drama by them too... but maybe not. In any case, the way this was put together spoiled my original plan to rave over Jürgen being in a fabulous comedy. I can't say that. I can't say it's a good movie. And I can't bring myself to call it a bad movie either, because there's an awful lot of intentional fun in it and I think the writer/director should get full credit for that.
So we're stuck with a frustrated movie rating of 3 and a "good popcorn" note. The Goodie Rating, however, is a no-brainer. Jürgen's role is a very funny stereotype of The Meanest Supervillain in the World. Remember DNA, where he frequently shot people dead with little or no provocation and gloated a lot? It's like that. Only better, because he keeps shooting his OWN henchmen, or beating them up -- he only hurts a good guy once. And in DNA he doesn't hijack a battleship, or kidnap a computer geek to pilot a hijacked battleship, or harpoon anybody. (Ah me, that brought back such fond memories of KILL CRUISE, and the things that might have been.) And he never had a good answer any of the dozen times somebody told him "You're insane." In ELITE he snaps back "Yes, I thought you knew."
It's funny.
Astonishingly, since there were a lot of characters in this and many of them were played by young hunky (or hunkess-y) actors/actresses nobody ever heard of, I actually have no complaints about any of the performers. Not even Robin Givens, whom I've always detested up to now. I think I actually liked her in this. While I don't expect to see any of those young people winning Oscars any time soon, they were well able to handle what was required of them and I was not distracted by thoughts of wanting to flick them off the screen despite their good looks. That in itself was a blessing.
Whatever ELITE is, exactly, Jürgen certainly was a great sport to take this role. Fans of his who enjoy watching him just have a rousing good old time with no strings attached (leave your adult critical faculties at the door, please) will have a blast with this.
The Elite. I watched it, then read your commentary. Are there any movies out there in any genre that you DON'T think should have been made as a comedy?
Anyway, I get a kick out of European movies that try to pass off locations in Europe as being in the states. And please, Utah? Of all the places to try to re-create in Europe. I knew they were filming entirely in Europe when the guard dudes at the beginning were wearing german kevlar helmets. And in the very next scene? You guessed it - GERMAN shepherds. Please.
Just some random ramblings
- 3 fruit stands were knocked over during the car chase, which was a dissapointment, but then they hit a water jug stand, which was a new one for me. The train-hitting-car bit at the end capped off what was a genuinely fun and pretty darned original car chase scene.
- Dioxide-laced mines?
- With the whole capture of the ship business - since you are already impersonating the Captain of the ship, wouldn't it have been easier to have the fake Captain to just order the crew to let them come aboard? I'm just saying.
- I definitely need one of those briefcases. The cell phone - slash - geiger counter - slash - tricorder thing was cool too. Christmas IS coming, you know.
- If I'm Maxine, I'm pissed. All of the male members of "The Elite" used their actors names for their characters (no shit - Jason, Joel, Keith, and Derek were all named, get this, Jason, Joel, Keith, and Derek) while they made up a name (Lena) for hers. Or does it have anything to do with all of the guys being male models. Coincidence? You decide.
- Joel Lewis, who played "Joel," is in a medieval movie called King's Guard, costarring with Eric Roberts and Ron Perlman. You need to buy this and loan it to me.