Be Kind Rewind (imdb | find showtimes)
So I’m a bit late to the game on this one, but if you have asecond run theater near you Be Kind Rewind is worth a few bucks. The film is big-hearted in its love for all things film, and despite a few shortcomings, provides an enjoyable experience.
Mos Def stars as Mike, an employee in a neighborhood video store owned by Elroy Fletcher, played by Danny Glover. Fletcher is trying to make ends meet as his store is next on the list for city renovations. Trying to gather the sum of money to protect his store from city officials, Fletcher takes a trip to research the business success of other video rental stores, leaving Mike to watch the shop. Mike’s bumbly friend Jerry (Jack Black) gets in an accident at the local power plant, and somehow becomes magnetized. By venturing into the store, he erases all of the videos.
The rest of the film deals with Mike and Jerry’s attempt to reshoot the movies erased. They “swede” films, shortening them and placing their own personal touches into the them. Be Kind Rewind has a lot of fun with these “sweded” films, and seeing Ghostbusters was certainly very funny and very amusing. The movie has a huge heart as it depicts a pure love for movies and filmmaking. Within Be Kind Rewind, the moviegoer and the movie maker are one and the same - both have a passion for all things reel.
Be Kind Rewind’s main fault is in its pacing during the beginning of the film. The movie simply isn’t very funny in its opening 20+ minutes. A lot of time is spent on developing the plot on how the videotapes get erased, and these scenes are a bit dull. However, the movie isn’t too long and once the sweding begins, so does the fun and the pace picks up.
Another small hiccup comes as the film relies heavily on knowledge of the sweded films. If you’ve never seen Ghostbusters, don’t expect to be laughing crazily. Be Kind Rewind attempts to swede some very common films, but the jokes can be a bit hit or miss. I found the Rush Hour 2 scenes to be pretty lame, but the other remakes have more charm.
In the end, Be Kind Rewind merits a viewing. If you love movies, then I think you’ll find much to enjoy in Be Kind Rewind. Despite some pacing issues, the movie has fine acting, a nice story, and most importantly a big heart.
3.5 sweded tapes out of 5
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