Page 81 - ThePhoenix1985-86

April 10, 1986IWeotem Maryland CollegeIPage 9 Gung-Ho veers down mediocrity lane the camera and said, "Mike, The speeches, then, often the first half hour. At one point cultures. He is certainly a by Jonathan Slade go ahead and wing It." Sev- liken a Sunday morning ser- we see an American worker welcomed sight among all eral of Keaton's many mon that is one big anticli- mimic a Japanese lunch- this insanity. Gung-Ho, Paramount Pic- speeches before the sweaty max. After deciding that mate's use of chopsticks. And finally, even the cine- tures' latest comedic entry working throngs seem so ad- viewers are too stupid to Does this reveal our sense of matography, which is ex- into the movie market, isn't a fibbed that any screen writer figure out the theme of the humor or our wealth of preju- tremely innovative in some bad flick. It's just mediocre - worth his weight in dialog film for themselves, they set dice? In addition, these "Rice- instances, slips into the "aver- which is especially ironic would want a disclaimer on up the situation to offer an a-ronies." as one character age" realm during several .. since the film examines this the final credits saying, "No, calls them, are constantly shots. There is a perfectly same sort of mediocrity in the I'm not responsible for such- passed off as cold and cal- coordinated scene where an American automobile industry. and-such a scene." Indeed, lous "fish." You don't need to auto worker walks out of his In fact, every time the movie when Keaton appears to stick be a cultural theorist, though, house at dawn just in time to starts to brandish a polished to the script, his exceptional to know that the people of snag the morning newspaper look, it stops, as if realizing comic timing shines through; Japan are much quieter and in mid-air. The moment is that it's succeeding, and then but, when he indulges in more reserved than are we. beautifully captured on film for an unfathomable reason spontaneous creation, not Callousness has nothing to do (A +). But there are also welds something shabby onto even the twisted-Keaton-grin with it. Nonetheless, Gung-Ho countless other shots made the existing framework. evokes a snicker. occasionally chooses to feed with a remote, portable cam- Take, for example, Michael This is not to imply, how- off of our cultural ignorance era .- for example, viewers Keaton, who plays Hunt Stev- ever, that the screenplay itself rather than to dispell it. almost get dizzy following enson, a foreman at a Penn- is perfect, for even that has a Still, some exceedingly Keaton around his home in sylvania automobile few dents here and there. In funny sequences do exist in one scene when he is on the manufacturing plant. Keaton, fact, those speeches of Kea- the film, and most contain telephone. The picture simply whose character convinces a ton's which are part of the both Keaton and Gedde Wan- wobbles far too much (F-). In Japanese car company to formal script even come off abe, who stars as the Japa- fact, you start asking yourself, bring its business here in sounding a bit preachy. Low- nese head of this "How can Ron Howard, who order to save a small town's ell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, Pennsylvania car plant. Wan- has directed such treats as economy, is excellent as the the head writers here, seem abe, who spiced up Sixteen Nightshift, Splash, and Co- happy-go-lucky bumbler who to decide halfway through the Candles and Volunteers, ap- coon let this shoddiness finds himself suddenly mis- movie that their social state- plies his charm here to con- sneak by?" cast as a mediator between ments have to be verbalized tribute a sense of humanity to Let's just hope that not all the foreign management and directly to the audience. Thus, the movie. Whereas Keaton is American workmanship is the American workers. But. they go about priming us too busy being goofy, Wan- laced with this allegiance to every once in a while, you get (and more than once) for "the abe gives us a sensitive por- mediocrity. Sadly, it could the impression that director big message," only to let the traya/ of a man trapped drive us away from the thea- Ron Howard just turned on moment hang in ambiguily. between two vastly different ter PHONE HAN 848 0944 14 PENNSYLVANIA AVE WESTMINSTER, MD. 21157 SlU~· IN.STAlLA110."~tpfUr{S RICH HALL 848-9518 House of Liquors Carroll Plaza Shopping Center specials ... 12 pack Heineken $6.99 Sign up forArmy ROTC Basic Camp. You'llget six weeks of challenges (hat can build up your leadership skills as well as your Stanley H.Kaplan body. You'llalso get almost $700. But hurry. This summer may be The SMART MOVE! your lase chance to graduate from college with a degree and an officer's commission. Be all you can be. See your Professor of Military Science for details.