(2007)
1.5
Derek Armstrong
Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall may be veterans of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, but their sensibilities skew a lot more red -- red state, that is. It's no coincidence, then, that Delta Farce features hapless heroes dressed in battle fatigues, nor that the climactic debate boils down to whether they should "finish the job" or "cut and run." But the reason liberal-minded viewers won't like Delta Farce is not that it's trying to re-energize comedy's conservative base. Really, it's just that the jokes are lame. The idea of confusing Mexico for Iraq is not itself a terrible one, and the filmmakers have shown unusual restraint here, carrying it only a little past the point of plausibility. Their choice for the essential story structure is also fine, giving character actor Danny Trejo the opportunity for another winking parody of the Mexican heavy he always plays. It's just that whenever there's supposed to be a hearty laugh, there's a light chuckle at best, a shaken head at worst. Engvall and Mr. Cable Guy aren't as bad offenders as their guest, D.J. Qualls, who goes most over the top with his trademark weirdo schtick. It's pretty obvious that Bear Aderhold and Thomas F.X. Sullivan are novice screenwriters, as the jokes have that begged, borrowed, and stolen quality to them. Then again, C.B. Harding, who also directed Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie, seems pretty okay with familiarity, delivering the stars in very familiar packages -- not only do they play characters named Larry and Bill, but Larry even drops in his famous "Git-R-Done" catchphrase. This film won't convert many opinions or even soften many biases, but at least it's not offensively stupid. And for those who are already initiated, it may be just the Farce for them.
Delta Farce on AllMovie
Delta Farce (2007)
