STUDIO: Newline
RELEASE DATE: June 17, 2008
STARRING: Mos Def, Jack Black, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, and Melonie Diaz
WRITTEN BY: Michel Gondry
DIRECTED BY: Michel Gondry
FEATURES: Behind-the-Scenes Featurette

I know Be Kind Rewind didn't have a big audience in theaters, but one lonely featurette? Really? For the man who gave us Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep? Shame on you, Newline. Yes, BKR is about something a lot of young DVD player owners have never even seen - VHS tapes - but it's also about the infectious power of creativity. Just the theme of the film seems to support more than just your standard EPK special feature. Where's the commentary? The insight into the origin of the flick? Even a damn gag reel? You KNOW there's a deleted scene or two featuring a recreation that didn't make the final cut. Let's see 'em! Someone needs to call Mike and Jerry and ask them to get to work.

Who are Mike and Jerry? They are Mos Def and Jack Black, respectively, two of the more lovable losers of 2008. Mike works at a local video store for the kindly Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover), who leaves him in charge when he heads out on a memorial trip. Mike's crazy friend Jerry gets magnetized after a freaky accident, which leads to the erasing of the entire video store. How do Jerry and Mike respond when their best customer (Mia Farrow), someone they know is going to call their boss at the first sign of a problem, wants a copy of Ghostbusters? They decide to shoot it themselves, play all the roles, and come up with their own ridiculous special effects. (I love that it's Ghostbusters and not something that would be even remotely easy to recreate like, say, anything without Slimer.) The next customer request? Rush Hour 2. Mike and Jerry's movies become neighborhood hits and the audience continues to ask for more, which leads to even more ridiculous recreations, including The Lion King and Robocop. Even the kids who request Mike and Jerry's flicks find their way into them. You HAVE to see Boyz N the Hood. Trust me.

Clearly, you're not supposed to take Be Kind Rewind too seriously. A character even says "To movies with heart and soul." That's all it's about. I'm shocked at how few people were willing to suspend disbelief and just enjoy Gondry's film for what it is when it was in theaters. The concept of Be Kind Rewind is as fantasy-driven as the memory machine in Eternal Sunshine and yet critics were hung up on the lack of stores in their hometown that actually rent videotapes. Get over it. When you suspend your disbelief, Be Kind Rewind is a fun, enjoyable flick...for at least two acts. Watching Mike and Jerry recreate King Kong, Carrie, and even When We Were Kings has a gleeful quality that's infectious. The special effects on 2001 and Men in Black are actually kind of brilliant. But like a lot of home movies, BKR doesn't really have many places to go. As much as I love Danny Glover, when Mr. Fletcher returns and the plot settles into a rather predictable "save the store" routine, the glee drains from it a little bit. Glover plays it too straight, bringing the ridiculousness of the film into the real world, where it kind of falls apart. Be Kind Rewind is like a kid who may not get all the steps right in a dance recital but, damn, he puts his whole heart into it. And, especially on DVD, sometimes that's all you need. Although a few more special features would have been nice.