Netflix Self-Torture Experiment Trilogy #8: Corky Romano
I shouldn’t have to explain why I chose this movie for the self-torture experiment…just look at the fucking boxshot.
Synopsis from Netflix: Veterinarian’s assistant Corky (Chris Kattan) is plucked from his seemingly normal life when his dysfunctional mob family convinces him to go undercover as an FBI agent to destroy evidence against his dad, Francis Romano (Peter Falk), who’s been brought up on federal charges. Rob Pritts directs this wacky comedy; Chris Penn, Peter Berg, Fred Ward, Dave Sheridan, Vinessa Shaw and Vincent Pastore co-star.
My thoughts (including unsurprising spoilers): This movie was more or less what I expected it to be: Chris Kattan spends a lot of time flailing around knocking shit over and dressing up in stupid outfits, attempting to get cheap laughs for inanity. There’s also a predictable, unrealistic romantic subplot and an equally predictable twist at the end when Corky Romano’s FBI antagonist turns out to be the ruthless heroin dealer for whom they’ve been searching. It also doesn’t make any sense that, once Corky is exposed for who he really is, the charges against his family are apparently dropped. Sure, the father wasn’t guilty of murder like they suspected, but he was guilty of a bunch of other shit (not to mention Corky’s brothers’ were complicit in everything) and they just ignore it? What?
Maybe I shouldn’t be looking for originality or realism in a film starring Chris Kattan, but my self-appointed job in the Netflix Self-Torture Experiment is to expose bad movies for what they are and this one is a no-brainer. [One out of five stars.]
