Growing up, my grandfather loved Laurel and Hardy. He watched their shorts and movies all the time and even had a framed letter written by Stan Laurel. And Grandpa Bud would make us watch Laurel and Hardy with him most visits, so while I’m no expert, I do know about the comedy duo. And with that knowledge I can say that my grandfather would probably hate this.
This was the least funny “comedy” movie I have ever seen. I never laughed once, and that wasn’t out of stubborn determination. I mean, fuck, even The Emoji Movie got at least two laughs out of me (the bit with the cactus, and I forget the other). This was just a slog to sit through and an unpleasant experience all around.
You know what comedy duo is known for mixing it up with classic monsters? Not these two! At first I assumed this was a period piece since Laurel and Hardy were big in the late 20’s and early 30’s, but we open with Hardy using a photocopier. Okay, so it’s the duo in the present day (of 1999)? Not really! Hardy at one point refers to his “great uncle Oliver Hardy.” So it’s the… do they count as descendants if they’re technically nephews? Whatever, this movie wants to be an homage and ends up a soulless reboot.
I actually have a list of things that annoyed me the most, so let’s go through that. The duo are members of the Brotherhood of the Nile, a sort of Shriners-like fraternal organization. Which struck me as weird because the REAL Laurel and Hardy had a movie called Sons of the Desert featuring a fraternal organization of the same name. Did the filmmakers here not use it because the “fan club” has adopted the name? Was it a copyright thing? Or were they just lazy? Moving on, the mummy smells of farts. Hilarious. The words “fart” or “flatulence” are never spoken, because oh no, that would be too lowbrow for this slapstick film! And finally, if I want to watch a movie where a largely pointless side character stalks the main characters menacingly on a bicycle, I’d watch Better Off Dead.
Should you watch this movie? Absolutely not. Would your grandfather enjoy it? Doubtful. Am I glad that this was the only movie done in what clearly was an aborted franchise? 100% yes.
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