Mascots (2016)

Mascots: Directed by Christopher Guest. With Zach Woods, Wayne Wilderson, Sarah Baker, Michael Hitchcock. A look into the world of competitive mascots.

“Christopher Guest has always made seriously hilarious mockumentaries. Beginning with the classic comedy u0026quot;This is Spinal Tap,u0026quot; Guest has riffed on every subject from local theater, to dog shows, and here he is taking on the world of mascots. He assembled some of his favorite actors (Jane Lynch, Parker Posey, Ed Begley Jr., and John Michael Higgins to name a few) and has released his newest film u0026quot;Mascots,u0026quot; on Netflix. Though Guest uses the same great set-up as many of his past films, sometimes tried and true methods are more tired and false.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhile I have enjoyed all six of Guestu0026#39;s written mockumentaries, this film is a bore-fest from start to finish.For one thing it doesnu0026#39;t feel like a mockumentary. Thereu0026#39;s too much polish and obvious talking heads flavoring this film for it to feel like anything other than a run of the mill, factory made comedy. Though there are a couple of chuckles to be had at the witty banter, thereu0026#39;s nothing truly incisive about the commentary of this film. The world of mascoting might be small, like the dog show circuit, but itu0026#39;s not one that truly lends to a lot of social discourse, or any true characterizations of small town America, which is Guestu0026#39;s bread and butter. It wouldnu0026#39;t surprise me if the entire reason Guest chose mascots is part of the film concerning the Furry community, which is the only truly interesting bit of the film.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSome aspects of the film feel really stale and out of place. The entire plot turn where Cindi Babineauxu0026#39;s schoolu0026#39;s past is called into question, was clearly unneeded, because it does nothing but hinder the plot and confuse the audience. Itu0026#39;s also unclear why Fred Willard and Brad Williams conversation needs to happen at all, except to show a character out of their depth. Actually a lot of the cast feels unneeded or written poorly, including the married couple, The Fist and his straight man, and all the side mascots. The routines arenu0026#39;t even really about supporting a team. Theyu0026#39;re often influenced more by vaudeville, or clown culture, which doesnu0026#39;t fit into the film at all.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eHonestly, this would have made for a better television show. It would be great to see these characters in a more in-depth way, and really explain mascot culture for those of us completely in the dark. Though itu0026#39;s clear much of the cast is trying their darndest to recapture the old magic of u0026quot;Waiting for Guffman,u0026quot; and u0026quot;A Mighty Wind,u0026quot; this is probably the lowest Christopher Guest has ever sunk. (Barring u0026quot;Almost Heroesu0026quot; of course.)”