Hamlet 2.

Yes, folks, you remember that depressing play about the angsty Scandanavian and his ill-fated family?  There is now a sequel, thanks to the outer dregs high school drama teacher, Dana Marschz.

Okay, so not really.  It’s a movie, but not the actual sequel to the famous Shakespeare tragedy.  Marschz, as portrayed by Steve Coogan, is a failed actor turned high school drama teacher, who lives to aspire to inspire hoodlums into loving drama — and fails horribly.  In order to save the schools drama program, Marschz decides to write and produce an original play, the musical sequel to Hamlet that will right the sad wrongs of the original work.

To be honest, I liked the movie more in theory than in practice.  The trailer looks absolutely hilarious and after all the controversy of “will it or won’t it be released”  I was expecting much more.  Granted, it did have it’s moments, and there were times that I did make out-loud chuckling sounds in the general direction of the TV screen.  I think it’s main problem was that it was pulling into too many directions at once, leaving random stand-alone gags, opposed to fulfilling, paid off humor.  Much like the main character, it was trying just a little to hard.

However, and this is a BIG however, I still recommend you to go see it.  After an hour and a half-funny, half-not, film, we finally get to see the stage production of Hamlet 2, complete with musical numbers.  The payoff of the last ten minutes is so utterly hilarious and enjoyable that it is worth watching the entire movie for.  I can’t say more than that, because I think you shouldn’t have any expectations of what you’re about to see.  However, I will leave you with this; Elizabeth Shue in nurse’s outfit and Sexy Sexy Jesus.

And scene.