Is America ready for a comedic romp about four bumbling extremists planning a terrorist attack? Newly formed distribution company Alamo Drafthouse Films hopes so. And actually with such a hilarious trailer and promising talent behind the film, they may not be out of line.
In fact, trailers are rarely packed with this many laughs, even ones advertising movies that turn out to be hilarious. From the opening argument about whether a gun is too small to use for a Taliban-style threat video to the failed-plan to strap a bomb to a crow, the trailer showcases a deft balance of dry British wit and inspired slapstick. All of the performances look dead on, and the idea to have the terrorists disguise themselves as giant furry cartoon characters toward the end is a stroke of farcical genius.
Critics at Sundance agreed that the film was funny, though some stopped laughing during the film's apparently very dark third act. Still, this one's directed by famed British satirist Chris Morris and co-written by Simon Blackwell, who helped write last year's razor-sharp bureaucracy-takedown In the Loop. Expect intelligent, push-the-envelope satire in the vein of South Park rather than cheap jokes for the sake of shock.
VERDICT: Sold