“Be Kind Rewind”

Rating: 7/10

Starring

Jack Black, Mos Def, Melonie Diaz, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow

Plot

After his brain becomes magnetized, Jerry (Black) accidentally erases all of the VHS tapes inside a video shop. In order to replace the destroyed movies, Jerry and Mike (Mos Def) remake 20-minute versions of all the films.

The Good

With visionary filmmakers like Charlie Kauffman and Spike Jonze being a bit reclusive from Hollywood lately, writer/director Michel Gondry has picked up the proverbial slack.

His 2004 film “Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind” is easily one of the better films of the decade. It was such an innovative film due to Gondry’s unique vision of one man’s memories and how his one-of-a-kind directing translated them to the big screen.

In “Be Kind Rewind,” the eccentricity of Gondry’s previous works are apparent, but they are far more subtle. Instead of tons of flashy visual effects, the simplicity of the script paves way for a far more restrained direction.

The film relies on the strong performances from its diverse cast and the snappy dialogue they deliver. Jack Black is still proving he can act, even with his typical doofus shtick ever present. Hearing the rotund comic butcher the “Ghostbusters” song and get beat up as Jackie Chan in “Rush Hour 2” is worth the price of admission alone.

Black and Mos Def surprisingly have great chemistry together as the two leads. Black’s zany antics are a perfect companion to Mos Def’s straight forward, no-nonsense character. But Mos Def’s range of acting seems to go from dumbfounded, to totally and utterly dumbfounded. The rapper should make another Black Star album before flexing his acting chops again.

The concept of remaking, or “Sweding,” all of the VHS tapes keeps your attention throughout the film. The novelty never wears off due to the interest in seeing these two average guys on no budget remake movies like “Boyz N’ The Hood,” “The Lion King” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”

The Bad

The only thing that weighs down this film is the terribly boring sub-plot about jazz musician Fats Waller.

Throughout the film, there are visually stunning black and white clips of Mos Def portraying the jazz legend. However, these scenes become tiresome and seem irrelevant up until the sappy final act. The film’s last 20 minutes feels oddly out of place from the film’s comedic and light nature.

Furthermore, some of the films selected to be remade may not resonate with the audience, unless you’re an avid movie buff. Why not substitute “Raging Bull” for the barely recognizable “When We Were Kings?”

It also doesn’t help that the Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show” had a recurring sketch oddly similar to the film’s concept nine years ago. The YouTube clips popping up across the internet seem to call out Gondry for plagiarism, but would an oddball French director really make a film based on the genius mind of Amanda Bynes?

The Low-Down

“Be Kind Rewind” is a light-hearted and whimsical trip, but it may prove to be a little too far out in left field for the average moviegoer. Fans of Gondry’s earlier work will undoubtedly be satisfied with the director’s new effort. It is one of the most original and crowd pleasing films of the year so far.