DEUCE BIGELOW: EUROPEAN GIGOLO(R)
***1/2 (out of 5)
August 12, 2005
STARRING
Rob Schneider as DEUCE BIGALOW
Eddie Griffin as TJ HICKS
Til Schweiger as HEINZ HUMMER
Jeroen Krabbe as GASPAR VOORSBOCH
Hanna Verboom as EVA VOORSBOCH
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Directed by: Mike Bigelow
BY KEVIN CARR
Listen to Kevin’s radio review…
Whenever an immature, gross out, sophomoric film comes out, I feel like I’m going to confession. You see, I like things that are immature, grossed out and sophomoric. That’s just the way I am. Fart humor? Great! Jokes about private parts? Bring ‘em on! Juvenile puns that would make a bunch of twelve-year-olds giggle? Great art!
Suffice to say, I got a real kick out of “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo.” It was a funny movie. But when I saw that they were making a sequel, the biggest question that ran through my mind is “Why now?” This isn’t like struggling with Hollywood B.S. to make a sequel to “Chinatown” more than 15 years after the original. And it’s not like pulling teeth to get George Lucas off his lazy butt to make new “Star Wars” movies. This was “Deuce Bigalow” for crying out loud. It’s not like Rob Schneider’s got a full plate right now.
I’m happy to say that this movie isn’t just a weak grab at a past success to make a few bucks. It’s genuinely funny. Oh, it’s immature, grossed out and sophomoric. But that’s part of its charm.
In this film, Deuce (Schneider) has given up his man-whoring ways to pursue ichthyology (that’s the study of fish, folks). But after a freak accident with rabid dolphins and blind senior citizens, Deuce leaves the country to join his old friend TJ (Eddie Griffin) in Holland. Because everything’s legal in Amsterdam – from pot to prostitution – TJ has brought his pimping ways to Europe.
However, there is a mysterious killer knocking off all the greatest gigolos in Europe. With the entire man-whore industry in trouble, Deuce agrees to become a mimbo once again and help track down the killer.
Yeah, it’s a pretty weak premise, but what were you expecting from Deuce Bigalow?
This film redefines low-brow humor. All dignity and respect are tossed out the window. If you weren’t tired of every male prostitute pun (like “mangina”), there’s plenty more in this film. We’re given the same bizarre cavalcade of freak women that Deuce takes on dates and woos without resulting to strange sex acts like a Portuguese breakfast (whatever the heck that is).
Rumors are that Schneider and producer Adam Sandler fought for an R rating, trying to take things up a notch from the first film. They apparently switched studios for it, and that was a good decision in the end. There’s too much of the studios aiming for the PG-13 crowd anyway – especially when the film is tailor-made for an adult audience.
So if you like low-brow humor – really, really low-brow humor – you should get a kick out of this film. I laughed my butt off. The movie begins with extreme and funny humor, and it keeps hitting you with it throughout the film. Like “Wedding Crashers,” what makes the film work is that it is relentless in making you laugh. It doesn’t lose steam, and the funniest parts are most definitely not in the previews.
However, if you prefer character dramas like “Million Dollar Baby,” you’ll want to stay at home. It doesn’t deal with the issues, and it doesn’t try to solve the problems of society. On the flip side, it never preaches at you, and it never takes itself too seriously.
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