In hindsight, I suppose given the premise that I should have expected such crude humor. Yet cheap as so much of the intended comedy is, its mere presence isn't the problem as much as its overabundance. 'Bad Milo' goes out of its way to be boorish and obnoxious, taking a plunger to the toilet to extract as many jokes as possible even when body parts or functions aren't specifically involved. And just as bad is that it didn't actually need to be, for plentiful dark, cheeky cleverness manifests of its own accord given the course of events. At its best this movie is both bloody and funny, but the script is just excessive and self-indulgent in the worst of ways.
It's hard to look past an element which is so emphatically integral to the picture as written. To the extent that we can, however, there is a lot to like about this. It's a rather surprising cast assembled for this, and to their credit, all on hand lean into the preposterousness with unnecessary sincerity and all the skill we know they possess. All the effects look great, including the blood and, yes, Milo himself. Though the screenplay as it exists is backed up and overflowing with immoderation, the core ideas are strong and classic, even as they're taken in bizarre (and too often puerile) directions. All the contributions of those behind the scenes are just swell, and even Jacob Vaughan's direction is fantastic.
By and large, this should and could have been more outlandish fun than it is. For that matter, the climax and ending are fabulous, striking unexpectedly perfect notes. So why, oh why, did Vaughan and co-writer Benjamin Hayes go so overboard to fill their screenplay with as much sophomoric, oafish crap as they could? When all is said and done I actually do like 'Bad Milo,' and I think it's worth watching (especially for fans of the cast), with the caveat that one should be well aware and able to abide the juvenile comedy that characterizes so much of the writing. If you can do that - well, have at it.
It's hard to look past an element which is so emphatically integral to the picture as written. To the extent that we can, however, there is a lot to like about this. It's a rather surprising cast assembled for this, and to their credit, all on hand lean into the preposterousness with unnecessary sincerity and all the skill we know they possess. All the effects look great, including the blood and, yes, Milo himself. Though the screenplay as it exists is backed up and overflowing with immoderation, the core ideas are strong and classic, even as they're taken in bizarre (and too often puerile) directions. All the contributions of those behind the scenes are just swell, and even Jacob Vaughan's direction is fantastic.
By and large, this should and could have been more outlandish fun than it is. For that matter, the climax and ending are fabulous, striking unexpectedly perfect notes. So why, oh why, did Vaughan and co-writer Benjamin Hayes go so overboard to fill their screenplay with as much sophomoric, oafish crap as they could? When all is said and done I actually do like 'Bad Milo,' and I think it's worth watching (especially for fans of the cast), with the caveat that one should be well aware and able to abide the juvenile comedy that characterizes so much of the writing. If you can do that - well, have at it.