Movie Review: Beerfest
While in Germany to spread their grandfather’s ashes at Oktoberfest, American brothers Todd and Jan Wolfhouse (Erik Stolhanske and Paul Soter) find themselves in the middle of a secret, ancient beer-drinking competition, where they get their asses royally kicked by their trash-talking German cousins. In an effort to redeem their family’s honour, they assemble a “dream team” of hardcore American beer drinkers and return to Germany to claim the winning title that is rightfully theirs.
Let me say at the outset that Beerfest is not a movie that I would typically go to see on a well-deserved night out. I went into it with low expectations. Fortunately, the studio was kind enough to provide us with some complimentary “movie props” in the form of wings and beer on our way into the screening, so I was in a reasonably good mood when I hit my seat in the theatre.
This is not a movie that is going to win any Academy Awards. It is written, produced and stars the same crew that gave the world Club Dread and Super Troopers, and is the same type of film as its predecessors. Nevertheless, I found myself suprisingly entertained for the two hours that I was in the theatre.
Beerfest delivers exactly what its title suggests – alcohol, off-colour toilet humour and gratuitous nudity. For me, it was like watching a train wreck – I just couldn’t look away. Even though it completely offended every principle that I stand for, I laughed, loud and hard, throughout this movie. And for that matter, so did everyone else in the press screening that I attended.
This is a movie which, although juvenile, had some great slapstick humour, some very witty dialogue and great supporting performances by Donald Sutherland, Cloris Leachman and Jurgen Prochnow. It was a slightly dumbed-down version of a Mel Brooks movie, but it worked.
Beerfest is not a movie for everyone. It is a movie that is geared toward college students, people who appreciate slapstick humour and people who don’t take themselves too seriously. If you are offended easily, this is not the movie for you. But if you want an enjoyable couple of hours where you can laugh and forget your problems, then Beerfest may be just what you are looking for. (7.5 out of 10)
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