Save Our Bluths: The Movie

Welcome to the many, MANY visitors from Beingfamous. I’m the Sickness/El Gigante and I love movies.

Let’s get down to it.

You would be hard pressed to find a bigger Arrested Development fan than I. I think the show serves as a benchmark for quality television comedy. The kind of show that deserves to be mentioned in the same breathe as Your Show of Shows, All in the Family, Taxi, the old Simpsons, the Larry Sanders Show, the Office; really the best of the best. But now that the strike is over can the potential AD join the ranks of great movie comedies? I’m cautiously optimistic. Obviously the die-hard fans will come out (maybe we’ll do a big ribbon cutting premiere) but does the cast appeal to the common man? Perhaps, but who the big pull may surprise you as I run down the MOVIE CAREERS OF THE BLUTH FAMILY.
The reason for this article is for my late-night-can’t-sleep-screening of The Brothers Solomon. Damn it all the math just didn’t work at all. I mean check it out.

Will Arnett=Funny, Bob Odenkirk=Funny, Will Forte=Funny, Chi McBride=funny

But somehow

(Will Arnett+Will Forte+Chi McBride) x Bob Odenkirk=Not funny

This is why I scored so low on my math SAT’s. It’s really made me reconsider my whole stance on Will Arnett as a viable filmic leading man. On Arrested the guy is fall on the floor funny just by existing, but is it that I find GOB Bluth that funny and not Arnett? Blasphemy I know.

Ok so let’s run it down:
Jason Bateman: A frequent face in the "Comedy clique" films people may recognize him from his work in Dodgeball, Starsky & Hutch or the Break Up all of which did big business. As Bateman branches out he begins to demonstrate greater range he is not pulling in an audience in films like The Kingdom or Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium. Too many he’s the wryly funny supporting guy. He ain’t a lead.
UPDATE: Oh crap, I forgot Juno. Or did I? Could my omission be a tacit reaction to my feelings on Bateman in the film? Or am I just an idiot?

Will Arnett: God knows they’re trying to make him a legitimate member of the comedy clique but nothing is sticking. The studios don’t push his comedies and then to compound the problem the movies aren’t that funny. Let’s Go to Prison? The Brothers Solomon? Sorry even the biggest Will Arnett apologist would be hard pressed to call these “good.” Sterling and amusing supporting work in films like Hot Rod and Blades of Glory are all well and good but he’s not the flashiest or funniest thing in either film. Maybe his work as an announcer in the forthcoming Semi-Pro will give him a Fred Willard-esque bump.

David Cross-The Mr. Show vet is a dynamic performer and powerful voice in alternative stand-up comedy. But again, the guy doesn’t bring in a massive audience. Except he appeared in a 200 MILLLION dollar grossing film last year. Oh sure, he got a mountain of shit for it but the fact is to thousands of little kids he’s Ian, Alvin and the chipmunks dastardly manager. Could seeing ole Ian bring in the kiddies? Maybe.

Portia De Rossi: Her life as Mrs. DeGeneres (and you know, give her a fulfilling relationship) may put her in a lot of magazines but nothing in her filmography suggests that audiences know who she is.

Tony Hale: Oh yes I can see it now “Oh hey that guy from the short lived Andy Richter TV series!”

Alia Shawkat: Puberty has been VERY kind to her. Who could blame the boys for flocking to see a lovely young woman?

Jessica Walter: Menopause has been VERY kind to her. Who could blame the septuagenarians for flocking to see this GILF? Watch out boys loose seal on the loose.

Jeffrey Tambor: I love that his mst successful film work has been in the Hellboy films. Should Golden Army be a success (and I don’t see why not considering Guillermo’s traction post Pan’s Labyrinth) Tambor could bring the geeks who don’t already know AD. Oh and on a personal note, please Mr. Tambor no more sub-par TV series. You’ve been on two of the greatest TV shows of all-time (AD and The Larry Sander Sanders Show) so why settle for Welcome to the Captain.

Michael Cera: Ladies and gentleman, meet the reason why an Arrested Development movie will be successful. The two movies he appeared in in 2007 broke 100 million. Heck even the most strident detractors of Superbad (which is to say most women) think Michael Cera is adorable and hilarious and EVERYONE likes Juno. Except the people who like to be contrary. Cera is now a bonnafide movie star with huge appeal to audiences, if virgins will check-out an AD movie, it will be to see Cera. “Everybody likes you, you’re George Michael.” Well said Michael, well said.