How entertaining? ★☆☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 10 March 2014
This article is a review of THE STAG. |
“This little single-celled organism is getting married to my sister,” The Machine (Peter McDonald) to Fionnan (Hugh O'Conor)
One does not like to put the boot into movies, but THE STAG is epically terrible. Every gag and "emotional" beat is signposted. Please can we have a moratorium on witless, sentimental pre-matrimonial tediosity? Joining A FEW BEST MEN as yet another sub-sub-HANGOVER, the latter has spawned a monster: The unfunny bachelor party genre.
Opening on a backgammon game in a cosy living room, groom Fionnan and best man Davin (Andrew Scott) discuss the latter’s unwillingness to commit. A bit of a ladykiller by all accounts, though it is hard to fathom why - like virtually all the male protagonists, Davin is a bland wet fish. Driving fiancé Ruth (Amy Huberman) up the wall planning the nuptials, she begs Davin to arrange a stag-do. Though unnecessarily confrontationally vocalised until near the finish line, it is obvious the best man holds a candle for the bride. For some reason best pal Fionnan never guessed.
One does not like to put the boot into movies, but THE STAG is epically terrible. Every gag and "emotional" beat is signposted. Please can we have a moratorium on witless, sentimental pre-matrimonial tediosity? Joining A FEW BEST MEN as yet another sub-sub-HANGOVER, the latter has spawned a monster: The unfunny bachelor party genre.
Opening on a backgammon game in a cosy living room, groom Fionnan and best man Davin (Andrew Scott) discuss the latter’s unwillingness to commit. A bit of a ladykiller by all accounts, though it is hard to fathom why - like virtually all the male protagonists, Davin is a bland wet fish. Driving fiancé Ruth (Amy Huberman) up the wall planning the nuptials, she begs Davin to arrange a stag-do. Though unnecessarily confrontationally vocalised until near the finish line, it is obvious the best man holds a candle for the bride. For some reason best pal Fionnan never guessed.
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Sans Las Vegas strippers, the bachelor celebration is intended as a weekend walking holiday and camping trip in the picturesque Irish countryside. Socially graceless brother “The Machine” is the spanner thrown in the works, by Ruth forcing her husband-to-be to invite him. Isn’t this the plot of THE HANGOVER? Hijacking the mild mannered group, The Machine proceeds to annoyingly quote-un-quote shake things up – mildly reckless behaviour ensues, e.g. car keys are lost. Is THE STAG meant to be funny, if so where are the laughs? Even such an irksome character getting electrocuted barely raises a smile.
Making matters worse is the injection of grim mawkishness. Each of the six in the group is given an issue. By the wedding they are all meant to be healed. How? Conversations and actions do not offer insight, or little balm, yet the tritest of resolutions is found. It feels as if the filmmakers think their audience has never watched a movie before.
Banging a head against a lamp, unable to unzip a tent, being naked, are some of the examples of physical japes meant to entertain. To the disgust of The Machine, stag member Simon (Brian Gleeson) can’t stand the music of U2. The Machine promises Simon he will see him cry to one of their songs. Guess what happens at the denouement…
Dreadful stuff.