Hamlet 2

Something's rotten in the state of…Arizona. That's where high-school drama teacher Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) has decided to save the theater department by producing a sequel to one of Shakespeare's timeless dramas. Not surprisingly, the show—written by Dana and starring a number of surly, untalented students—raises the hackles of school board members and outrages parents. Of course, Dana can't understand why (surely it couldn't be the scene depicting a meeting between Hamlet and Jesus Christ, or the follow-up musical number, “Rock Me Sexy Jesus”). In Andrew Fleming's Hamlet 2, amleCoogan mugs outrageously as the clueless teacher, while the talents of skilled comedic actors—including Catherine Keener and David Arquette—are underemployed (even as the film tries to milk laughs from others with no gift for comedy—specifically, Elisabeth Shue). Of the other supporting players, SNL's Amy Poehler fares best, as an overbearing ACLU lawyer who resists community efforts to shut down Dana's manifestly offensive opus. But even she's short-changed by a script that always tries to squeeze two guffaws out of gags barely worth one chuckle (such as a lengthy sequence in which a chorus of gay men sings “Maniac”—which is funny for 10 or 20 seconds, not several minutes). Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by director/co-writer Andrew Fleming and co-writer Pam Brady, a “Making Number 2” making-of featurette (16 min.), a deleted scene (3 min.), a brief “Oscar Winner vs. High School Drama Class” scene reenactment from Erin Brockovich, two sing-along segments, and trailers. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing film.] (E. Hulse)