My Name Is Bruce
Gimme some sugar
Everyone loves Bruce Campbell. The
start of the Evil Dead series and countless B-movies, Bruce Campbell
has amassed a huge and loyal fanbase just based on his awesomeness.
Even non-horror fans know him now, thanks to a successful role on the
television show, Burn Notice. Since this is my 150th
review (!!!), I thought I'd treat myself to the awesomness with a
movie starring Bruce Campbell where he places...Bruce Campbell.
My Name Is Bruce is a 2007 horror
comedy starring (duh) Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Maniac Cop) an amped
up, over-the-top version of himself. In the small town of Goldlick, a
mall goth teenager named Jeff (Taylor Sharpe) and some friends mess
around in the graveyard of Chinese mine workers who died in a
collapse. Jeff removes a medallion off a mausoleum, accidentally
unleashing an ancient Chinese god of the dead and bean curd named
Guan-Di. Jeff escapes and finds the only man who can help defeat
Guan-Di: Bruce Campbell. Bruce is a disheveled raging alcoholic
looking to get back on top, but is mired in awful horror movies. His
agent, Mills Todner (Ted Raimi, Spider-Man, The Grudge) tries to find
him work and promises him a special birthday surprise. When Jeff asks
Bruce for help, he initially blows him off. Jeff knocks him out and
kidnaps him, bringing him to Goldlick. When he is told by the
townspeople that they want him to fight Guan-Di, Bruce thinks this is
all a movie and goes along with the premise. Bruce tries to woo
Jeff's mother, Kelly (Grace Thorsen) and after some initial
repulsion, warms up to Bruce's charm. Joined by the townspeople,
Bruce goes off to “fight” Guan-Di and runs away when he finds out
that Guan-Di is, in fact, real. He returns to town when Jeff tells
him that he is going to fight Guan-Di alone. Joined by Kelly, Bruce
heads back to fight. How will they be able to defeat a god?
We're gonna need a bigger gun
As you can tell, this movie is just
pure fun. There are plenty of genuinely funny moments from start to
finish. The movie has a nice mixture of smart writing and physical
comedy. The story itself is pretty basic and is really just a vehicle
to give us a massive dose of the lead actor/character. It's nice to
see the inclusion of a villain from a different culture not normally
touched upon by a lot of horror. Unfortunately, this leads to a touch
of racism in the movie. Ted Raimi also plays an old descendent of the
Chinese miners named Wing, essentially being in “yellow face.”
They couldn't have just hired a Chinese actor instead? You would want
him painting his face black, calling himself Sambo, and doing a
little soft-shoe, would you?
The script breaks the fourth wall a few
times, giving the audience a weak and a nod, letting them in on the
weird meta joke of Bruce Campbell playing Bruce Campbell, colossal
B-movie dick. Bruce is wonderfully over-the-top and yet convincing at
the same time. There is a decent amount of violence in the movie and
there may in fact be more be-headings in My Name Is Bruce than some
Friday The 13th movies. It has a decent amount of blood
and rolling heads, but nothing particularly amazing. There's nothing
particularly scary, so non-horror fans can still watch it.
You just heard a thousand nerds simultaneously orgasm
My Name Is Bruce is a pretty good
comedy and a decent horror movie. There are some legitimately laugh
out loud moments and a few good kills. Bruce Campbell is wonderful
and he gets help from a good supporting cast. Despite a lot of
laughs, some jokes fall flat and a few are regrettable. If you're
looking for some laughs or just want to bask in Bruce Campbell's
glowing awesometicity, My Name Is Bruce is for you.
7.5/10
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