Fool's Paradise Isn't Funny (Film Review)

A review of the film Fool's Paradise, written and directed by Charlie Day
Website: www.neoncrewpodcast.com/
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3AI17Id...
Facebook: / neoncrewpodcast
Instagram: / neon_crew_p. .
Twitter: / neoncrewpodcast
#FoolsParadise #CharlieDay #Film

[@5Ci0N]

I finally got to see this and while I did laugh, I didnt think it was really funny either. I feel bad too because of the podcast he said it was a bit of a passion project for him. Maybe it strikes a chord with people in the industry but for most people it probably wont.

[@GregSeath]

You just completely summed up my thoughts, like I felt as though I was actively trying to find scenes funny half the time. Purely because I like charlie so much and wanted the movie to be good

[@nickseason]

Charlie was great, but I think the movie would have been way better with a more competent dramatic actor playing Ken Jeong's part. The monologue he delivered in the hospital scene was so ridiculous, I was baffled as to what tone it was trying to convey. And when I realized it was trying to be serious, 🤯

[@5Ci0N]

In their podcast, he mentioned something about telling Ken to play it more serious but I didn't get that at all. He still seemed like he was playing Ken.

[@tmmsnj11]

Ken being in this movie was a huge red flag from the start he's probly the least talented comedic actor in Hollywood

[@jon00769]

I disagree. It felt pretty genuine to how a narcissist would come to the realization that they are an incredibly self-interested person that's not really aware to the people around them.

[@BladeRabbit]

Reminds me of the Filmento video of "concept" vs "execution". Because you can describe the concept of Fool's Paradise and it sounds great or at least good but then the execution isn't there. I think this is a problem with a lot of passion projects because they have an idea and then they have the money but if that was enough then everyone would be an oscar winning director. In the end I hope Charlie Day got to make the movie he wanted even if it wasn't the one the audience did.

[@philwood3396]

this is what happens when Glenn isn't around to keep Charlie and Rob in check

[@nickseason]

Glenn should have played Lenny the Publicist, honestly

[@drumusic5665]

Rob has made some bangers.

[@drumusic5665]

@Firmament Syndicate I second that

[@5Ci0N]

​@Firmament Syndicate mystic quest

[@christofferjenzen78]

Glenn lol. He makes one great movie and is the best actor since sliced bread. Dude was still getting bit parts when charlie was getting leads so it might be more of a case of wrong passion project,wrong time or that when it comes to writing and ditecting solo,neither of these guys can hack it. We'll see.

[@cadegarrettmusic]

I’m a massive fan of Charlie and of Sunny. I was really looking forward to this movie and saw it in theaters opening weekend. I was disappointed as well. To me, the project read as overthought. It’s like the pieces were there but it was sooo messy. The only scene I enjoyed was John Malcovich’s monologue. Which I thought was great

[@gbeach85]

Just watched it. The cast is great, ya know, in other movies, but this one just wasn’t good at all.

[@striderreborn1467]

Does anyone remember the "Preacher" comics where the character "Arseface" was thrown into the Hollywood machine during his short-lived music career? The premise itself gives off similar vibes to that...

[@atasteofginger2443]

Just from watching the preview of the film I get the vibe of it being similar to Bill Murray's film the man who knew to little. Not the same of course, but where you have a character who somehow slides by through everything because the supporting roles are always assuming

[@Fxcloud90]

It just might be the most boring movie I've ever seen. When he was basically raped by Kate Beckinsale's character and she out of no where says "we should get married" and 5 seconds later we're at their wedding I realized what kind of movie it was going to be. Stuff happens just for the sake of it. Like he said nothing feels earned. There's no natural progression. Like when Latte nearly dies and breaks a ton of bones he's just perfectly fine in the next scene. Or when he saves Common from choking and then all of a sudden he's getting a key to the city for it and the mayor wants him to become the next mayor. Like wtf? They didn't even make any mention that he saved a former movie star that we're supposed to assume has been missing because he lost his mind and became homeless. No, for anyone knows he just saved the life of a random homeless guy. The moving is nothing but Latte getting thrown into absurd, pointless situations that only serve to thrust him into the next. All of that could be forgiven if the movie was funny but it just isn't at all. The movie gives zero reason to be invested in what is happening.

[@Adonk]

I didnt like it but I hope he gets a chance to direct and write more films

[@abanackermcjohnathan8924]

I feel like the movie was good. It was kinda funny, but at the end of the movie, it didn't feel like I had watched a comedy. Instead, it felt like I watched a movie trying to be a comedy but become more of a deep dive into society. I had some laughs, shed some tears, and by the end of it all I wasn't sure what I watched. All I can really say is that I liked it. It wasn't great and it wasn't bad. It was enjoyable.

[@jackmercer4244]

amazing cast including Day, but yeah... I tried to like it but just couldn't get through it. I couldn't care.

[@dysFUNctional93]

Just checked this out last night with my gf. I saw the runtime and joked oh it’s only an hour and a half long it’s probably not worth watching. Figures well if it’s bad at least it’s not long. Holy hell though was it a slog. It was kind of so bad it felt like it would never end.

[@Signalfromabove]

This movie is absolute dribble!

[@Captain_Cooper]

I think this premise would have worked better as a period piece where the main protagonist becomes an unlikely star in the silent movie era of Hollywood…

[@Master_of_Critique]

Ken Jeong as the untalented, broke, pathetic energy drink addicted agent was the funniest part of the movie imo

[@Joecbg100]

Looks like a fake movie Charlie would make

[@IDHLEB]

It feels like AVGN Movie with higher budget. Not that both movies are similar, it's just feels like a passion project gone wrong.

[@Takishidobani]

So many talented actors from across the board and this is what we get... What a let down.

[@stevenharper1017]

You are SPOT ON...! IT BLEW. Period. Compare it to the two Horrible Bosses movies, it's not even close. Did he have the chops to pull off a WRITER / DIRECTOR / STAR-IN...? Turns-out, bsolutely not. That's what happens when fame goes to your head, and you get money people to bank-roll you. What a shame.

[@thENDweDIE]

Was it Day's original screenplay...or was there studio interference..??

[@sonyastephens1632]

I think Charlie Day is funny, but I also think he's funny in doses. I think a little Charlie Day goes a long way. Charlie reminds me of Jim Carrey they start off so funny, but because they are so over the top their funniest bits or moments start to wane on you so much so they are not funny any more and you wish they would just stop or you hope the movie will be over soon because you are exhausted.

[@ebiii5686]

It's "Being There" with no heart.

[@joshcohen6800]

different opinion, and i completely respect yours. after watching movies i enjow or am confused about, ill come on here and watch reviews, especially when its opposite mine. i think, for me, SO FAR at least, this is my favorite... "comedy" type movie. but its so much more! i feel charlie days character is very bland. but bland done well and emotional. body language and facial espressions for sure. i feel its more about the characters around him, than him himself. The scene wheres hes first infront of the camera, and keeps looking into it. i dont think its supposed to be funny that HE is looking into the camera, but the crazy reactions of the producers because hes doing something that isnt "normal". why leottas charcter keeps saying "whatever, just keep rolling" or whatever. it shows how crazy the hollywood scene is, as well as how desperate people are to use easily manipulated people to get what they want. I think this movie is fucking genious! i get why Day fans wouldnt like it cuz hes barely his loud funny self. but instead can show hes an insane actor just buy using facial expressions and body language. again, all just MY opinion, and what I took from the movie. so far its #1 comedy his year.

[@kimclasses370]

Felt like an attempt to reinvent Being There, but...Peter Sellers

[@zeikerfourer4342]

i really wanted to see this movie, im from colombia but it didn't show up in my cinemas, i search it up on internet and i couldn't find it, not even in my language and also i couldn't find a way to at least watch it in english, this is a nice way to at least have a glance of what could have been the movie

[@donnymiddlebrook]

I thought it was a cute movie. It didn’t have to be overly funny to be a decent movie. Is it Oscar worthy? No. Is it a movie that I would watch again? No. It did help me get away from all the crap that’s going on in the world these days and not think about that for an hour and a half.

[@jdog2112rush]

This is such an unfunny movie. Don’t waste your time waiting till the end for something interesting to happen. I fast forwarded it, and couldn’t see any humor anywhere. Agreed with critical review.

[@ForgedPlanetTV]

this looked bad just based on the trailer

[@parlaygod]

it was all over the place, pacing was off, he was good but the silent act got really old, idk some parts were funny but was annoying to watch if that makes snese

[@sliceoflife4220]

I liked it

[@eand611]

Man I thought that Malkovich speech was hilarious 🤌

[@mattkleman7876]

If the point is: “ Hollywood people do Hollywood and a guy cant talk-or doesnt want to, or doesnt know the language, or SOMETHING! any explanation would’ve been good - just when no one asks him the whole movie and he just goes along with everything… then mission accomplished? But there was no point of view (that i could pick up) about a narrative of them being this way is funny, because it isn’t, unless your just laughing at those types of people. There is no explanations, backgrounds, results, or outcomes other than “no body murdered him (he almost kills himself if thats comedy) . how would he get thru two and a half days?” Cuz thats all that happens, literally. This one definitely wasn’t for me, but i still love Charlie. So I’m confused. Did he think it was good? Was it only for a VERY SPECIFIC AUDIENCE? or did he just not care? And just wanted to be Charlie Chaplin for 90 minutes, but there wasn’t even physical comedy. Went in right after john wick, which also had very little dialogue but was awesome.

[@jeremyusreevu237]

The point of the movie is that the Hollywood elites are so self absorbed and up their own ass, that they can talk for hours and realize that Latte is incapable of speech.

[@davidbucky7634]

As bad as this is i guarentee its gonna be better and funnier then bert krieshers machine movie

[@myhatmygandhi6217]

Not much of a prediction, Schindlers List is funnier than Bert Kreischers film.

[@pennystocklocks]

Yeah review was good

[@langolier9]

Great review I love most of these actors. I love always sunny I really like Charlie Day and I hated hated hated this movie. It was so much worse than I expected and I expected it to be bad and it was still worse than that.

[@brianthomason5022]

God it took me three or four sessions to finish this movie and it sucked

[@gusfring9776]

tbh i like the movie

[@Peanutdenver]

Now I haven't seen Fool's Paradise, I like Charlie too btw, but it sounds like a take on the Peter Seller's film Being There based on the novel of the same name. Watched that film and it was solid/funny/irreverent a few years ago. I think it's was made in the 70s or early 80s it's definitely old school. Anyway, I do want to see Charlie succeed beyond Horrible Bosses and IASIP. But for now I think I'll skip Fool's Paradise as the reviews are not great...along with yours and you're a fan of Day's work too.

[@thedrewdog]

The movie commits the worst sin a movie can make: It's boring. Charlie is a great director, especially the "Charlie Work" episode of It's Always Sunny, but this film was a tonal mess. It's a PG concept crammed into an R-rated film, that goes WAY too heavy on Ken Jeong. I don't know if he was afraid to direct his A-list friends? Or just let everyone improv for the heck of it, but it's a solid 5/10, and that's worse than being a hilariously bad trainwreck.

[@heturnal]

Biggest sunny fan since day one love em all, but this is by far the worst film i have seen in years, at least blackberry is great this is absolutely shit

[@5Ci0N]

I've rewatched Blackberry a couple of times but with this, it's a one and done. Maybe it will strike a chord with people who know more about the workings of Hollywood.

[@Puppy_Puppington]

What I like about you, is you holddd meee tIGHTTTTTTTT

[@Bukejuice22]

I liked it.

[@langolier9]

I actually think you’re being way too kind. This movie was so much worse than you said it was.

[@alexdoehring5521]

While I agree this movie was pretty boring and wasn’t super funny, this entire review is pretty much you saying that you didn’t find it funny

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

You must've missed the part where I talked about the characters, music, cinematography, story, or anything else not having to do with the humor. But that's fine. Attentive viewers are hard to come by these days

[@jedics1]

Looks like great actors and a good concept but neither can carry a two hour film that doesn't have good writting and dialogue which sums up most movies of the last decade and especially the last 4 years, wow its been painful to watch. Your assesment of "it just seems like a series of events put all together in one movie" describes way to many movies and Im not even going to bother downloading it now.

[@wardenmagellan2643]

Nice vid man! The movie was god awful, specially the Ken Jeong Character, damn! His friendship with Latte was so unoriginal and predictable… The only two redeeming qualities of this awful movie are Common that was Hilarious as Dagger and Ray Liotta RIP. Everyone else was wasted. And the writing was far from good!

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

Thank you!

[@parlaygod]

i agreee

[@erm12341]

of course critics aren't gonna love it , this is a satiric movie about the Hollywood world

[@gbeach85]

Or, and this is crazy, it’s not good. I literally just watched it and all their Croatians are valid.

[@5Ci0N]

Im not a critic, I love iasip, and I really enjoyed Blackberry but I didn't think the movie was really funny either. I laughed at certain scenes but I probably won't rewatch it like I have with Blackberry.

[@Tdfries]

I don’t watch films like this to laugh… I see this as more of a The Life Aquatic style film… Wes Anderson films aren’t inherently funny, but they are interesting.

[@GerardPerry]

Tbf, this looks 100x worse than the worst Wes Anderson film.

[@hayesism]

I think Wes Anderson films are funny. But just because this movie isn't funny doesn't mean it is good. It can be unfunny AND suck ass.

[@danimalplanimal]

This movie was pretty terrible and not funny... but definitely keep watching Always Sunny, that continues to be great to this day

[@bigsassyster]

So disappointing. I had high hopes for it.

[@derbdep]

Well, you certainly have a strong opinion about it :) The point of critique, and its a decent critique. I like how you say 'in my opinion', because that's what it is. Others (not myself) have strong opinions at the other dichotomic end. I never really feel too strongly with any given movie. I like Noah Baumbach films for example, but many others find them pretentious. I also love 'It's Always Sunny', but for totally different reasons. In any case, regardless of the flaws, it was a passion project of Day's, so us disliking this sort of equates to us not really 'getting' him. And that's fine; people think in diverse ways, subejctive to their own experiences, most of the time borne from their available resources. We all can't agree or understand the logic of certain films, albums, art pieces, etc - because they're being transmitted from someone else's mind, in often a raw form. Perhaps we could say Charlie just needs more experience in directing his narrative? Perhaps its exactly as he envisioned it? Perhaps he may even have wanted it to flop, to prove some point he has about Hollywood? This is why its indie - and I think we as viewers may have expectations set way too high around independent movie as being more 'substantial' than what it is. Its nothing more than subjective artistic expression: open to critique or acclaim as everything is (in the free world at least), but these kinds of films were never made for critique/acclaim in the first place I guess.

[@nickp3836]

You can also just say you don’t like it. That’s fine too

[@christofferjenzen78]

Its perfectöy possible to "get" someones passion project and dont like it. We rarely hear that we dont het a passion project if we like it,even if it is for the wrong reasons. The passion os not a bulletproof vest and arguments are still valid despite the artist burning for his work.

[@jeremyusreevu237]

I completely disagree. I just saw this movie, and I absolutely loved it!

[@ninozebec5740]

Well this movie is a stinker, but (in my oppinion) mostly because it's made for a very certain demographic's, and that is moviemakers, and people working with movies. It's so very meta and "bespoke" that most people don't understand the jokes, couse we simply don't know what the jokes are about. I get it, it is supposed to be absurdely absurd, with an insane timeline, time jumps, painfully long scenes and line repetitions, but the fact is, that is just doesn't work. Interesting idea, but for a very narrow audience

[@DriftingPancake]

I don’t think it’s meant to be funny. All I felt throughout the movie was a sense of sincerity from the makers…something we don’t see much from movies these days

[@rtunum48]

i think everyone went into this movie with the wrong mindset. you have to think about it as if charlie from sunny wrote the movie and it becomes much more funny

[@thehalfmanTL]

Has anyone ever seen silent films? This is charlie chaplin brought into the modern cinema scene.

[@chrisdalton5646]

So you're saying what happens in the movie isn't earned. Got it. Enjoy the channel traffic for talking about someone else's movie.

[@gbeach85]

Uhhhh people review other people’s content all the time from tv shows to games to movies. What are you even on about?

[@paulmacrath8985]

lmao what a sad little comment

[@anitaspencer7526]

@@gbeach85 Don't be obtuse, Grant, come on. The point of the comment is this video is piggybacking a mainstream movie for clicks while hypocritically claiming the events depicted in the movie aren't "earned." Not to mention this review's analysis is unsupported, immaturely phrased, lethargic, and notably repetitive with the "not earned" accusation being made four times in total. It's objectively less of a review than FOOL'S PARADISE is a movie. And people do a lot of things "all the time," Grant. Status quo doesn't automatically equal justification. There's a disparity between late great Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Roger Ebert and droning into a laptop mic for clicks like Cinema Sins, YMS, etc.

[@shipofdarknessaustralia]

@@paulmacrath8985 Good one, Buzz.

[@MrGhostTheBigRoast]

@@anitaspencer7526 stop having a hissy fit

[@arturogranados1133]

its so bad. did not finish.

[@camarors91]

It was enjoyable not funny. Think that’s the point

[@bac0n406]

TL;DR it's pretty bad.

[@davethomas8410]

Why is this getting bad reviews I liked it

[@icycleragon]

It was really funny, not many ppl got that it was satire

[@themajormakor]

A well edited video but you need a pop filter, I couldn't finish it because of the assault on my ear drums

[@aarondailey7485]

Damn, makes me sad so many ppl didn’t enjoy this movie! I LOVED it lol. I will totally agree with you that the dialogue is pretty horrible at times. Ppl talk like robots at points and spew paragraphs of nonsense. A lot of the time during the movie, I was GENUINELY confused on whether Charlie day actually thought the dialogue was really clever, or if he was trolling the audience the whole time… then Common and John Malkovich came in and really sold me on the idea that the whole movie is just totally not taking itself seriously, and I enjoyed that for some reason. The characters were definitely cartoons, but by the end I found the cartoons really endearing. Could be a good movie, or could just be fool’s gold, who’s to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@GZP1023]

Its actually very good with a weak ending.

[@sliceoflife4220]

Yes

[@gayprogramming]

this movie is the new Freddy Got Fingered. It is a mad house that you cant forget about. I think itll be remembered fondly as years pass and new people who get it watch it.

[@emmarosehurt]

I thought the movie was great. I don’t want to be that guy, but sincerely- you just didn’t ‘get it’. 😂

[@jonnybarnard8578]

I loved this movie, fight me

[@therichardshow1]

this film was amazing says a lot without saying to much

[@belowaverageindividual]

Bro this movie is actually good don’t look at it in a movie aspect think of it as a spectator you don’t watch around you watch as how he moves around it’s just supposed to make you laugh and oh what about this oh what about that no it’s about how A GUY WHO IS MENTALLY CHALLENGED BECOMES A MOVIE STAR ITS A DUMB PREMISE but they work it good as a comedy everyone looks at the background but it’s supposed to be shadow NOT EVERY GOOD MOVIE IS SUPPOSED TO BE DEEP it’s supposed to make you laugh make you understand what there feeling without knowing when their fifteenth grandmother died it’s for the fun the laughs and the experience think that’s so funny how that guy became famous and did all of that so quickly

[@jameslanclos568]

Great. I just ordered this movie today, but haven't watched it yet. Another waste of money and time, I guess.

[@5Ci0N]

Give it a chance at least. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would but other people, or you, might.

[@sebanab1]

This is a bad review. You are beeing very supperficial about it. It's like you had to get a comedy just because you know the guy is a comedian but didn't get the kick and now you are upset. That means you are highly subjective and frustrated, which is a bad attitude for a reviewer. Bad job..

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

All reviews are subjective, that's why it's my opinion...

[@AB3ABC]

Terrible review

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

Care to explain why?

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

@@theneoncrewpodcast bro you explained it very well without spoiling. this is a masterclass. Also i never liked charlie day before watching always sunny.

[@helygg8892]

​@@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259 cuz he was just so famous and in so much before then right lol

[@dallasdavis3437]

@@theneoncrewpodcast "I think something like that could work if it had been done in a much much much more different better way, however you want to phrase it"

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

​@@dallasdavis3437 Okay, you're just quoting what I said. Very helpful indeed

[@partyof4340]

Of course the movie's not good these guys aren't that funny I mean I've watched the show a lot I seen every episode multiple times but I do it in the same way I scroll mindlessly through my phone I never really sat there and been dying laughing from a sunny episode I mean they're all right it's entertaining I guess but these guys aren't like Norm Macdonald or Dave Chappelle or Richard Pryor or something like that they just been around long enough

[@lucienaround4501]

I'm not sure it's supposed to be funny

[@dr.henrykillinger1027]

“it’s pretty stinky” ya that’s where i was done with your video

[@theneoncrewpodcast]

Okay bud

[@raftlack4326]

"has opinion" you: impossible

[@nottiredofwinning3736]

What a shame. He's an incredible talent, guess he found his limits.

[@redrraman4341]

Harsh!