| The
Review: |
As a teen comedy, "The New Guy"
is as cliched and routine as any movie can get. Hailing to
the guidelines and rules that last year's "Not Another Teen
Movie" so gratuitously mocked, the movie doesn't concern itself
with trying to be fresh, original, or even hip, for that matter.
There is a central focus within the material, and that is
its comedic charm, which, surprisingly enough, manages to
bust more than a few guts throughout its short but ultimately
sweet duration. ***
The storyline is all but unrecognizable:
nerdy twig-boy Dizzy Harrison (DJ Qualls) is the resident
nerd at his local high school, where he is the brunt of jokes
like being tied to a chair in a dress and rubber bosoms, and
the banter of the usual jock football players. He belongs
to a circle of friends played by Zooey Deschanel, Parry Shen,
and Jerod Mixon, who just happens to be the token black and
the token fat guy all in one. ***
After an embarrassing incident
involving medication given to him for his Tourette's, he lands
himself in jail, where he meets Luther (Eddie Griffin), whose
15 years of doing time have toughened him up, so to speak.
Luther spots his own youthful insecurities in his newfound
comrad, and, with the help of several other inmates, shapes
him into a lean (well, leaner), mean, fighting machine masked
by a suave, ultra-slick demeanor (feel free to sigh and mutter
"No way" at any time). ***
To make a short story even shorter,
Dizzy, now Gil Harris, makes a slam-bang entrance at a new
school for his senior year, where he impresses cheerleader
Danielle (Eliza Dushku), uses her jock boyfriend as his own
personal punching bag, and begins tearing down the social
system within the student body, all the while boosting morale
for the ailing football team and juggling two different sets
of friends at once. ***
Anyone who knows their teen movies
knows where the material is headed. There is the old theme
of one's lies coming back for one final stab, as Dizzy attempts
to keep his real identity hidden from his new classmates.
And there are the requisite shots of campus life, the situation
that pits Dizzy against his friends as a result of his blowing
them off for his new persona, and let's not forget the requisite
happy ending, where the do-gooders finally give the enemies
their just desserts. ***
It's all very routine, but not
once did I stop laughing. Sure, I knew everything that was
going to happen (the trailer doesn't really leave anything
to suggestion), but what surprised me about the movie was
its unwillingness to continually succumb to such tactics like
gross-out gags or bodily humor; what there is of the two comes
in short instances, and could hardly be considered offensive.
Instead, the humor is realistic, resonating from the slapstick
of Dizzy's shenanigans, the jokes and one-liners that are
nothing short of hilarious, and even the spoofs of films like
"Patton" and "Braveheart," which are oddly-placed but still
tickle the fancy. ***
The thing I like best about movies
like "The New Guy" is that they don't forget what they are
about. Its message about popularity and respect is tired,
but still manages to make its way to our soft spot, perhaps
because it we can sympathize with Dizzy enough to believe
in it (kudos to DJ Qualls for his enthusiastic ability to
act completely stupid). Here is a small, pleasing, well-fashioned
teen comedy that actually has a heart, and puts it in the
right place, becoming a feel-good popcorn flick that stands
as one of the better examples of its genre to come along in
years. --
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| Image
and Sound: |
The addition of a few extras has
not hindered the appearance of "The New Guy," nor does the
absence of the fullframe presentation found on the previous
DVD seem to make it better, either. Measured at 1.85:1 and
anamorphically enhanced, the picture benefits from a good
source print, which has some film grain now and then, but
no other blemishes. Colors are smooth and nicely saturated
for a warm, vibrant look, with accurate fleshtones and solid
blacks throughout. Contrast and shadow detail are great, and
clarity looks very good, with sharp edges that aren't too
hampered by edge halos. Pretty good. ***
The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio mix
is your typical comedy track that has lots of highs and a
couple of lows, and gets the job done without making too many
waves in the process. Dialogue sounds clean and atmospherics
are imaged accordingly, while the music is peppy and full
of life, filling out the surrounds and giving some life to
the .1 LFE, although it could use a little more aggression
in places. Overall, this is a perfectly fine audio track.
--
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