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Printer-Friendly ModeReno 911! barely makes arrest in jump to big screen
February 26, 2007 —
Transferring a TV entity to the big screen is a crapshoot.
The transition is sometimes a smooth process. In other cases, you get something like It's Pat!
Comedy Central's original series Reno 911! is the latest TV series to make the jump to the silver screen. The results, while mixed, are good enough to tag it a successful passage.
With any adaptation, it helps to be familiar with the source material. But strangers to the eccentric police force of Reno should still feel at home following a quick rundown of central characters that gives a hint of what these people are like.
Anyone who has followed the series in any capacity will likely appreciate that the 84-minute flick plays out like an extended episode of the show, only an uncensored one.
Reno's eclectic vignettes that spoof Cops are tied together by a flimsy plot that leaves the crew to patrol the city of Miami while attending a police convention.
Naturally, the move to Miami from a small-time city where catching a loose chicken tops the day's activities is a shaky one, especially taking into consideration the collective intelligence of the Reno police force.
In one instance, the crew congratulates themselves on the lack of calls the station is getting, only to realize it's a result of unplugging the switchboard so they could plug in a popcorn maker.
Highlights spawned from their beats include a call to infamous rap mogul Suge Knight's house during a wild party, dealing with a pool-dwelling alligator, and moving a beached whale.
Bouncing back and forth between crude and witty humor, Reno finds stability thanks to the diverse arrangement of characters presented.
Even most novice viewers will have trouble not finding an assortment of the characters and scenarios charming in a twisted sense of the word.
A montage that captures the squad's paths crossing at the motel their first night in Miami, for instance, is essentially lowbrow material made clever because of its presentation. The scene culminates with a long shot that reveals the majority of the force engaging in acts of self-satisfaction in their separate rooms without the curtains closed.
Cameos by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Paul Rudd, and Paul Reubens come close and nearly succeed in becoming the film's highlights.
Rudd is more integral to the plot than the other two, playing a Tony Montana-like character whose tool of violence is a weed whacker.
Reno's main flaw lies within its strengths. As endearing as these characters become, the gags become stagnant and begin to drop off in quality.
Failing to even hit the golden comedy runtime of 90 minutes, Reno 911!: Miami makes a sluggish finish because of this format.
The series' random approach works nicely within the half-hour timeframe, but like most TV shows adapted to the big screen, there just isn't enough material available to make it a well-rounded product.
Because of the show's popularity, an ample box-office turnout seems like a given, as do sequels. In fact, a follow-up is all but guaranteed to close out Reno 911!: Miami.
Loyal fans will be appeased by the squad's extended antics, but casual viewers may find a little Reno can go a long way.