“Be Kind Rewind” is one of those movies that a friend recommends to you, and after watching it you say “what the hell was that?” Not to say this film is bad, it’s just not for everyone. That said, I think I can adequately cover what types of people this movie is actually for.

1) Hard core movie fans who have a bent against the establishment (huge studios, corporate giants, condo developers, you name it)

2) Jack Black fans

3) People who like comedies that are not too deep, but rely on a blend of crude jokes, a bit of slap stick comedy, and a few lingering questions that keep you thinking (as long as you didn’t miss them entirely).

4) Anyone who has already seen the Dark Knight 14 times and needs something else to fill their day.

Be Kind…begins with two adversarial friends Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def) who hang out at Mr Fletcher’s (Danny Glover) video store, by the name of the movie. Mr Fletcher is fighting to keep his store open because the city council and some giant corporate real estate developer want to tear his store down and build condos – a trite and overused antagonist in my opinion. Where it gets interesting is Jerry attempts to plant a bomb in the local electric plant, which is conveniently located next to his trailer, but instead gets electrocuted and retains a magnetic charge. Sadly, Jerry goes to the video store the next morning and proceeds to erase all the VHS tapes in the store.

Without divulging too much of the plot, in order to save the store Jerry and Mike decide to make “sweded” films (a made up term because the tapes are from Sweden so they cost more). These films are 15 minute versions of the original – like Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, The Lion King, Driving Miss Daisy, etc. At this point Director Mike Gondry (Eternal Sunshine, Science of Sleep) shows some of his creative and comedic genius. In fact, this plot turn is so dramatically funny, stupid, and wacky that at this point the viewer will either turn off the DVD player to watch Rachel Ray 30-minute meals (see: The review title – But Not For Everyone), or the viewer will perk up and ask, wow how in the heck will Gondry get away with such a crazy plot twist?

To be honest, I was almost one of the former, but after trudging on, I was pleasantly surprised and actually loved the way Gondry used the idea. Jerry and Mike solicit help from friends to make these hit interpretations of famous movies. The filmmaker’s comedic genius comes when he takes the salient and memorable scenes (remember the library scene in Ghostbusters?) and both uses creative liberty, lo-fi stage resources like aluminum foil, and applies the character’s crass behavior and limited memory of the actual movie, priceless and bordering on sheer genius. In fact this is so well done with numerous comic elements that I was crying of laughter at some points.
Unfortunately there is only so much ‘sweding’ to go around, and only so many movies one can successfully ‘swed.’ Hence, the plot must move on and eventually the movie ends with the requisite happy ending.

Be Kind…is wonderfully imaginative, funny, and daring. Gondry also scratches the surface of some deeper issues that plague the industry like changing technology and digital media (VHS vs. DVD), the peril of the local video store against corporate giants, the rise of real estate development wiping out historic communities and family owned businesses, the power that huge movie studios have over the films we watch, and copyright issues where big companies like Disney try to prevent independent artists from creating new art and building upon the fabric of society and popular culture.

In summary, I thoroughly enjoyed Be Kind Rewind and even if you don’t fall into the categories of viewers that I mention above, but you have an open mind, I think you’ll enjoy this movie too.


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children up Ages 8