Wednesday, October 13, 2004
Good Burger
Good Burger (1997)
Directed by Brian Robbins
This is a movie that should not be underestimated.
Some people write this off as a child’s movie. It was created by Nickelodeon Studios and was based on sketches from their comedy series All That. It is true that it comes from childish beginnings, but like many things intended for children, there is more to it than meets the eye.
It’s a classic film of good versus evil. Odds this great have not been overcome since the men of Israel sent a young child out into the valley to face the Philistinian giant. The story pits the small restaurant Good Burger against the giant corporation Mondo Burger. In modern times it is a reflection of the true punk rock attitude. Punk kids everywhere shout, "Bring down the man!" and that is one of the themes of this movie.
The movie stars Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson as Ed and Dexter. They have an unlikely meeting as Ed rollerblades in front of Dexter’s car. They meet again when Ed gets Dexter a job at Good Burger. Shortly after we find out that Mondo Burger is about to open and put Good Burger out of business. The tone of the movie shifts from being a buddy film to being a story of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
The scenes inside Mondo Burger are pure parody. Anyone who has ever worked at a major fast food chain feels a certain bond with Ed and Dexter as they try to bring down this corporate giant. We see the employees of Mondo Burger slaving away on an assembly line. They are mindless automatons that work for the Man. They are told that from this moment forward, their lives belong to Mondo Burger. How true is that to the ideals of corporate America?
One of the major differences between Good Burger and Mondo Burger is in the decor. Mondo Burger is awash with vibrant colors. The employees wear uniforms made of shiny, colorful vinyl. The inside of Good Burger is drab by comparison. The employees wear somber, light colored clothing. It harkens back to a time when what was important was good food and good service rather than dazzling the consumer and hoping they don’t notice your shortcomings. The irony is, the movie itself is part of that. I love this movie, so it pains me to point this out. But the movie itself is vibrant and multi-colored. It has a quick pace. It is made to appeal to a crowd that is unaccustomed to deep, contemplative films. This is not a film that gets by on its great plot and great acting. It is not a benchmark in cinematic history.
That said, the acting is above average for this type of film. The legendary Abe Vigoda appears as a senior citizen working at Good Burger. He delivers cynical and bitter one-liners throughout the film. Sinbad makes an appearance as a schoolteacher who has some awful luck and an even more awful fashion sense. The two main characters don’t give the greatest performance ever, but they do admirably well considering their age.
One of the interesting things that this movie tackles is the common American belief that "bigger is better". The plot of the story has Mondo Burger adding a chemical to their ground beef that makes the meat swell up to a size that is two or three times larger than a Good Burger even though they are using the same amount of meat (we assume). People flock to the bigger burgers because people love bigger things, more for your money. But Good Burger wins the day by adding a special sauce to its burgers, this "Ed's Sauce" is what saves the restaurant.
Mondo Burger wants to put Good Burger out of business. They are frustrated by the fact that Good Burger is still open thanks to the new sauce. Is that really parody? Sadly, it's quite true to the real world where we see big, corporate chains opening up next door to family owned businesses and shutting them down completely. It is true that Mondo Burger goes to far greater lengths to get rid of Good Burger than any real corporation would. They have the new sauce chemically analyzed in order to steal the recipe. They send a woman (played by Carmen Electra to seduce Ed and try to steal the sauce recipe away from him. They even send people over to Good Burger to contaminate the sauce with poison.
In order to keep Ed and Dexter occupied while they are trying to contaminate the sauce, Kurt (the manager of Mondo Burger played by Jan Schweiterman) has them locked away in an insane asylum. In an amusing homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ed, Dexter and Otis (who had been thrown in with them because he'd caught the Mondo Burger employees tampering with the sauce) escape with the help of an over-sized, speechless man. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great performance by Mr. George Clinton as an inmate at the asylum who leads his fellow inmates in some line dancing.
The humor in the movie is often infantile and sophomoric. It relies heavily on slapstick, physical comedy. However, there are traces of more subtle forms. Ed, though portrayed as chronically dimwitted, occasionally surprises the audience with bursts of super-intelligence. There are several instances of quick repartee between Ed and Dexter as well as between Ed and some Good Burger customers. The gag of Kurt always speaking of Kurt in the third person is an entertaining bit of scriptwriting.
Another issue of the film is friendship. The bond between Ed and Dexter is based on Dexter's using Ed to get money. However, as the film progresses we see the two of the become close friends and Dexter's using him lessens. That is a rather realistic description of how friendships can come from quite unlikely partnerships. We really see the bond forming when Ed shows Dexter his "special, thinking place".
Ultimately, this movie is a fun time. It mocks the conventions of society while mocking itself. It is a story about friendship and loyalty. It is a tale of good triumphing over evil despite enormous odds.
Directed by Brian Robbins
This is a movie that should not be underestimated.
Some people write this off as a child’s movie. It was created by Nickelodeon Studios and was based on sketches from their comedy series All That. It is true that it comes from childish beginnings, but like many things intended for children, there is more to it than meets the eye.
It’s a classic film of good versus evil. Odds this great have not been overcome since the men of Israel sent a young child out into the valley to face the Philistinian giant. The story pits the small restaurant Good Burger against the giant corporation Mondo Burger. In modern times it is a reflection of the true punk rock attitude. Punk kids everywhere shout, "Bring down the man!" and that is one of the themes of this movie.
The movie stars Kel Mitchell and Kenan Thompson as Ed and Dexter. They have an unlikely meeting as Ed rollerblades in front of Dexter’s car. They meet again when Ed gets Dexter a job at Good Burger. Shortly after we find out that Mondo Burger is about to open and put Good Burger out of business. The tone of the movie shifts from being a buddy film to being a story of hope in the face of overwhelming odds.
The scenes inside Mondo Burger are pure parody. Anyone who has ever worked at a major fast food chain feels a certain bond with Ed and Dexter as they try to bring down this corporate giant. We see the employees of Mondo Burger slaving away on an assembly line. They are mindless automatons that work for the Man. They are told that from this moment forward, their lives belong to Mondo Burger. How true is that to the ideals of corporate America?
One of the major differences between Good Burger and Mondo Burger is in the decor. Mondo Burger is awash with vibrant colors. The employees wear uniforms made of shiny, colorful vinyl. The inside of Good Burger is drab by comparison. The employees wear somber, light colored clothing. It harkens back to a time when what was important was good food and good service rather than dazzling the consumer and hoping they don’t notice your shortcomings. The irony is, the movie itself is part of that. I love this movie, so it pains me to point this out. But the movie itself is vibrant and multi-colored. It has a quick pace. It is made to appeal to a crowd that is unaccustomed to deep, contemplative films. This is not a film that gets by on its great plot and great acting. It is not a benchmark in cinematic history.
That said, the acting is above average for this type of film. The legendary Abe Vigoda appears as a senior citizen working at Good Burger. He delivers cynical and bitter one-liners throughout the film. Sinbad makes an appearance as a schoolteacher who has some awful luck and an even more awful fashion sense. The two main characters don’t give the greatest performance ever, but they do admirably well considering their age.
One of the interesting things that this movie tackles is the common American belief that "bigger is better". The plot of the story has Mondo Burger adding a chemical to their ground beef that makes the meat swell up to a size that is two or three times larger than a Good Burger even though they are using the same amount of meat (we assume). People flock to the bigger burgers because people love bigger things, more for your money. But Good Burger wins the day by adding a special sauce to its burgers, this "Ed's Sauce" is what saves the restaurant.
Mondo Burger wants to put Good Burger out of business. They are frustrated by the fact that Good Burger is still open thanks to the new sauce. Is that really parody? Sadly, it's quite true to the real world where we see big, corporate chains opening up next door to family owned businesses and shutting them down completely. It is true that Mondo Burger goes to far greater lengths to get rid of Good Burger than any real corporation would. They have the new sauce chemically analyzed in order to steal the recipe. They send a woman (played by Carmen Electra to seduce Ed and try to steal the sauce recipe away from him. They even send people over to Good Burger to contaminate the sauce with poison.
In order to keep Ed and Dexter occupied while they are trying to contaminate the sauce, Kurt (the manager of Mondo Burger played by Jan Schweiterman) has them locked away in an insane asylum. In an amusing homage to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Ed, Dexter and Otis (who had been thrown in with them because he'd caught the Mondo Burger employees tampering with the sauce) escape with the help of an over-sized, speechless man. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great performance by Mr. George Clinton as an inmate at the asylum who leads his fellow inmates in some line dancing.
The humor in the movie is often infantile and sophomoric. It relies heavily on slapstick, physical comedy. However, there are traces of more subtle forms. Ed, though portrayed as chronically dimwitted, occasionally surprises the audience with bursts of super-intelligence. There are several instances of quick repartee between Ed and Dexter as well as between Ed and some Good Burger customers. The gag of Kurt always speaking of Kurt in the third person is an entertaining bit of scriptwriting.
Another issue of the film is friendship. The bond between Ed and Dexter is based on Dexter's using Ed to get money. However, as the film progresses we see the two of the become close friends and Dexter's using him lessens. That is a rather realistic description of how friendships can come from quite unlikely partnerships. We really see the bond forming when Ed shows Dexter his "special, thinking place".
Ultimately, this movie is a fun time. It mocks the conventions of society while mocking itself. It is a story about friendship and loyalty. It is a tale of good triumphing over evil despite enormous odds.
# posted by NoPantsDave @ 10/13/2004 02:00:00 PM 
