Be Kind Rewind

by Josh Baker
(Oregon)

Moviegoers who love Jack Black's antics will find mixed blessings in "Be Kind Rewind". It's got the zaniness, but there's also a serious heart here, quirky yet subtle characters, and a truly unique story. Black portrays a junkyard dweller, Jerry, who is friends with a video store clerk, Mike (Mos Def). Jerry hangs out at the store a bit too much for the owner's liking. The set-up of the film shows off Black's goofiness in contrast to Mike's more unsure nature. They are struggling to make ends meet in a run down area. To top it off, the building has been condemned and will be destroyed unless a lot of repairs are made.

When video store owner Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) decides to take some time off to figure out how to save his store, he leaves Mike in charge, asking him to keep Jerry out of the store. Jerry, you see, is a giant goofball. For example, he plans to sabotage the nearby power company substation, because he thinks electromagnetism is hurting people. He tries to convince Mike to go with him, but Mike balks. Jerry has a subsequent serious close encounter with electricity.

The next day, Jerry enters the video store reeling from the effects of being shocked. The biggest effect is that he is now magnetized, and as he wanders the video store, he unwittingly destroys all of the tapes. Customers confront Mike when the tapes won't work. Then the guys decide to do a remake of Ghostbusters with their own video camera. They need help, and they stumble onto Alma, (Melonie Diaz)who is relatively eager to help. She is a no-nonsense counterpart to the guys. The trio start making a series of films, and people actually want to see them, even if they have to wait a bit. The process starts making the store relevant again.

When Mr. Fletcher returns, the store has a long line of customers. If the filmmakers can crank out more videos, they might even make enough money to stave off demolition. Unfortunately, the legal system comes down on them for copyright infringement, and all of the remakes are destroyed. The community comes together to try to solve the problem with a truly original film. The end is a bit ambiguous, but that is only fitting.

If some of the situations in the film are a bit light and over the top at times, the characters are ultimately very likeable and there are numerous nice touches. The film is almost completely shot on location in what appears to be a run down area of Passaic, New Jersey, lending an authentic touch. In the end "Be Kind Rewind" is a fun film that will leave viewers smiling.