Album Review

The Slammin’ Salmon –

• 20th May 2010

Comedy group Broken lizard are best known for their films Super Troopers and Beerfest. They are at it again – this time taking a shot at restaurant life.

After a brief set up that has our happy Troupe working the tables at a very uptown establishment owned and run by Michael Clarke Duncan’s temperamental yet slightly dumb boxer Cleon Salmon, it becomes clear that the team have to raise $20,000 that very night or he loses the restaurant.

With an added incentive to get them in competition the team at first get off and running to raise the money and soon turn against each other in order to get the prize. Of course much hilarity ensues as fires break out, customer’s diamond rings get swallowed by hungry managers, staff start losing their patience with uptight customers and all the while living in fear of their very lives when their big bag and unstable boss is losing his temper at every turn.

What the team have done is actively produced a comedy for adults that doesn’t rely on too many gross out gags, or sex antics to get their laughs. Instead it’s much more reminiscent of late 80’s comedies that were all about the story set up and letting that thrill of that ride drive the gags. This is set in one night which helps greatly mount the sense of urgency and panic among the staff members and a sense of fun for the viewer.

There are a few cameo customers in the guise of Lance Henriksen, Morgan Fairchild, Vivica A Fox and Heroes Sendil Ramamurthy all adding more problems and cause for embarrassment of the staff.
As the madness escalates to preposterous levels with staff running skipping from table to table on the order of their boss, or literally acting off their heads because they got hammered, or forgot to take their sanity pill, and even with third degree burns on their faces – the film manages to come full circle in the end – and even manages to end with a hilarious riff on the end of Rocky 3.

Broken Lizard does dumb comedy very well. It’s unapologetic, yet restrained in all the right ways.