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Epic Movie DVD Review

by Kam Williams

Spoof of Blockbuster Genre Released on DVD

This sophomoric spoof of the Hollywood blockbuster relies on the familiar formula already employed by Scary Movie and Date Movie. The bad news is that the laughs are few and far between. Worse, this bottom-feeder is relentlessly crude, profane and vulgar.

The story revolves around a quartet of orphans, each a refugee from a recent hit flick. Lucy (Jayma Mays) is based on Sophie from The Da Vinci Code, the detective descended from Christ. Edward (Kal Penn) is patterned after Esqueleto, Jack Black's homeless sidekick in Nacho Libre. Susan (Faune Chambers), a character inspired by Snakes on a Plane, is flying to meet her adoptive celebrity parents, Bradgelina, when all hell breaks loose aboard the aircraft because of, you guessed it, snakes on the plane. And finally, Peter (Adam Campbell) is an X-Men reject sans superpowers.

After introductory sequences featuring sketches from each of the aforementioned films, the four meet at a chocolate factory where they discover a magical wardrobe which deposits them in the Land of Gnarnia where they encounter a flamboyant pirate (Darrell Hammond), a boy wizard (Kevin McDonald) and an evil white bitch (Jennifer Coolidge).

Our intrepid young heroes proceed to embark on a hair-raising adventure in this dangerous parallel universe during which they must join forces with a horny lion to defeat the white bitch and her minions. The problem with the picture is that it panders to the lowest common denominator, whether that be via fart jokes, urination humor, projectile vomiting, or a litany of lewd asides. So, rather than offering any enlightening insights, there is nothing deeper here than the most infantile material imaginable.

Can a picture really be considered a parody if it is a bottom-feeder which merely parrots rather than satirizes its source material?

Fair (1 star)
Unrated
Running time: 93 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Alternate scenes, alternate ending, outtakes gag reel, commentary by the directors, plus several featurettes.