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As the war over Tropic Thunder’s use of The R-word rages on, the movie that prominently features the song “Rock Me Sexy Jesus” quietly slips into theaters, without so much as a peep of protest.
Hamlet 2 tells the story of a down-and-out actor who’s resigned himself to teaching drama at a high school in Tucson. As another school year begins, Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) finds that his class has grown from the usual two to an overwhelming 28—most of whom are kids from the “wrong side of town,” who ended up in his class after funding was cut on the classes they really wanted to take. As Dana tries to get through to his uninspired new students, he discovers that the school board has decided to cut the school’s drama program. So, in an attempt to save the program, he decides to put on the school’s biggest, boldest production ever: an original musical called Hamlet 2.
When the school finds out about the play’s content (which includes nudity, sexuality, and even heresy), they try to pull the plug. But Dana, his students, and the ACLU join together to see it through.
To be honest, I was never really worried about Tropic Thunder. In fact, I see enough movies on a weekly basis to be surprised that people chose that one to boycott. But I definitely had my reservations about the potentially sacrilegious Hamlet 2.
I was surprised, however, to find that the story isn’t nearly as offensive as I expected. That’s not to say, of course, that it isn’t still offensive. In fact, at some point during the movie, virtually every member of the audience—regardless of age, race, creed, gender, or religion—will find him- or herself under attack by the film’s feigned ignorance. It doesn’t leave anyone out. So if that kind of thing really bothers you, you should definitely steer clear.
At the same time, though, the offensive parts of Hamlet 2 aren’t as prominent as I expected. Though the movie does show parts of Dana’s bizarre theatrical production, the story is really more about the process—about a tired and disillusioned teacher who’s trying to inspire his students in any way he can. And if he can resolve his issues with his dad and go back and fix all of the depressing parts in Shakespeare’s Hamlet at the same time, even better!
Despite the plethora of weird and uncomfortable and offensive moments throughout the movie, Hamlet 2 is surprisingly clever and even good-natured. And the cast is exceptional—especially Coogan, whose facial expressions and comedic timing couldn’t be better.
Again, if you’re easily offended, stay far, far away from Hamlet 2. But if you have a South Park-style sense of humor, you’ll love it. It’s silly and sometimes slapstick, yet it’s also shockingly smart. The songs are really catchy, too—just try to refrain from singing them out loud in public places.
