The Ten
Thou Shal Not … yeah, I got nothing funny to say about God, but these folks do
Tags: misc dvd 2008 Categories: DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jan 23rd, 2008
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This was funny – not laugh out loud until your sides ache, but still quite solid. A wide range of humor here pretty much guarantees that everybody will be both amused and possibly slightly offended, and that’s the point. The Ten provides small vignettes based on The Ten Commandments. Most of the stories are interconnected in a way that make sense and don’t feel forced. Paul Rudd is the host of the whole affair, introducing each segment while suffering through a moralistic tale of his own.
Part of the enjoyment of The Ten is how each story unfolds, sometimes in a surprising way. The result of “Thou Shal Not Commit Murder” feeds into “Covet Not Thy Neighbor’s Wife” in a way that you wouldn’t initially expect. When Winona Ryder’s character first appears, it is thought to be a cameo, but she return again and it makes sense. Her character goes through a few changes that seem weird when written out, but in the world that the film creates, make total sense. She is one of the standouts in the film, going all out in her character and simply letting this character roll away with some pretty … well, Little Women this isn’t.
Another great role is Oliver Platt’s turn as an Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator. I don’t want to say why, or how it turns out, but the end of this segment actually had me laughing out loud. Gretchen Moll as a librarian is also particularly well done. These standouts are not to say that the rest of the cast are slack in any way, but these are the three that simply rose above the rest.
Ken Marino co-wrote the script with director David Wain. The two names are familiar to fans of the early 90’s MTV series “The State” – and virtually every member of that cast returns here in some form or another. This makes a lot of sense as each of the 10 segments do have their basis as skits. This is essentially a sketch comedy show with a theme and larger budget. That larger budget allowed for a number of big Hollywood names to make an appearance. Ron Silver, Liev Schreiber, Famke Janssen, and Jessica Alba are but a few of the recognizable faces on the screen.
For what it is, The Ten is a decent offering. Not as funny as it could be, but perhaps a let better than it would be had it not been for the pedigree of those behind and in front of the camera.
Included on the DVD are almost an hour of deleted scenes, extended scenes, alternate takes, and bloopers. What pissed me off was that there is no “play all” option. Some of the sequences are quite funny, but I just want to hit “play” and let the funny fly. I shouldn’t have to keep hold of my remote. The audio commentary is worth checking out – Paul Rudd, Ken Marino and David Wain show up, and teleconference in David’s parents. It’s a little bizarre, but it works and provides a nice counterpoint.
Other extras include a pointless “making of” featurette that doesn’t do much, an interview with Wain, Rudd & Marino that was done for … some cable channel I think, a couple of wallpapers and ringtones, and the first episode of “Wainy Days” from MyDamnChannel.com. All told, a decent package, but for fans of The State, there could have been something addressing the cast reunion. As it is, The Ten is a solid rental for comedy lovers, and if you are familiar with the folks involved, a purchase might be recommended.
| What Works | Score |
|---|---|
|
+ When it's funny, it's funny and satirical + Good commentary + The State near-reunion |
7.6 |
| What Doesn't | |
| - Hit and miss comedy (some of the jokes are old hat) | |
| Under the Shrink-wrap | |
| It's funny - and while not all of it will please you, enough of it will. | |
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Tags: misc dvd 2008
Posted by Daniel "monk" Pelfrey on Jan 23rd, 2008 and is filed under DVD/TV Reviews, Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can post a comment, or trackback from your own site.
