Rated PG - Running Time: 1:16 - Released 8/2/02
THE MASTER OF DISGUISE
Rated PG - Running Time: 1:16 - Released 8/2/02
There is no question that Dana Carvey is one of the most talented
and versatile ex-members of the Saturday Night Live cast,
having created such memorable characters as the Church Lady, Hans
the bodybuilder, and Mike Meyers's Wayne's World co-star
Garth, not to mention his impersonations of President George Bush
(Sr.), Ross Perot, Johnny Carson, and Jimmy Stewart. But if The
Master Of Disguise is his attempt at creating an Austin
Powers-type franchise, he's got a long way to go. Written
by and starring Carvey, with help on the screenplay by Harris
Goldberg (I'll Be Home
for Christmas, Deuce
Bigalow: Male Gigolo), and directed by freshman Perry
Andelin Blake, who has served as production designer for all of
Adam Sandler's movies plus a few others but is getting his first
try behind the camera, this film is yet another demonstration
that just because an actor can create funny characters for 3-minute
SNL sketches doesn't mean he can support his own full-length
feature movie. As expected, this film features occasional moments
of Carvey genius (many of which are seen in the trailer) sprinkled
sparsely throughout a senseless, leaden production full of utterly
stupid dialogue, inane plot threads, dimly conceived characters,
and uniformly weak supporting performances. Produced by Sandler's
Happy Madison Films, it maintains that company's low standards
for production value as seen in movies like Bigalow, The Animal, Little
Nicky, Joe Dirt, and
Sandler's currently showing film Mr.
Deeds.
The film introduces us to Carver's character, Pistachio Disguisey,
a dim but good-natured Italian American who, like Chris Kattan's
character in Corky Romano,
has been kept in the dark about his family's business because
he's apparently too stupid to understand. Although Pistachio works
as a waiter in his father Fabbrizio's Italian restaurant, his
dad (James Brolin) comes from a long line of Disguiseys, who use
their uncanny ability to look and act like other people for the
purpose of...well, I don't really know what the purpose is. But
Pistachio is finally brought up to speed by his grandfather (Harold
Gould) when Fabbrizio is kidnapped by the vengeful Devlin Bowman
(Brent Spiner of Star Trek fame) and forced to impersonate
famous people while stealing precious artifacts for Bowman's collection.
After a surprisingly unfunny training sequence, Pistachio's grand-dad
deems him a "Master of Disguise," hires a comely assistant
named Jennifer (Jennifer Esposito, apparently only present for
the purpose of having a cute babe in the picture), and sends him
off to rescue his dad.
Although my kids seemed to enjoy this movie (they'll watch anything), I was surprised at the dearth of laughs, especially from an established talent like Carvey. I didn't expect the story to be very good, but I at least thought he would shine. His timing seems off for most of the picture, as if he's constantly aware that his well-known talent for improvisation is being squelched by the film's sub-par script and Blake's lackluster direction. Meanwhile, Esposito possesses all the screen presence of a deer caught in the headlights, noticeably breaking character when she's not speaking and appearing generally unaware of what the gag is supposed to be. Brolin, Spiner, and Gould give passable supporting performances, and there are several cameos by famous people, but their participation is clearly meant as support for Carvey's high-energy tomfoolery. Unfortunately the high-energy part just isn't there. **
