Re: The Wing Kong Exchange
Men at Work
Carl Taylor and James St. James are two garbage men who dream of quitting their job and opening up a surf shop on the beach. While they work towards this goal they also wreak havoc on the small community of Los Playas in any way possible. One night they witness a murder, and the next day the body turns up on their route. Now Carl & James must figure out who is responsible and get to them before the killers come to retrieve the body.
"Just a little wet behind the ears...."
Ok, so it’s technically NOT an 80’s movie, but Men at Work was released in August of 1990 so it’s pretty damn close as far as I’m concerned. It’s also one of the most hilarious films I’ve ever seen, and though it is certainly no great masterpiece it nevertheless does nothing short of make me laugh throughout its entirety. Sometimes it is important to remember that mindless entertainment is still entertainment, and this film is a great example of that. While it tries to put forth a positive message about the environment the bottom line is that it is simply a wonderfully whimsical film with some really funny characters and some hysterical dialogue. While it was universally panned by critics I’d like to think that somewhere, someone besides me has a soft spot for this film, and the harmless amusement that it has brought.
"See I told you it would be safe. Now let's try mixing coke, heroin AND meth!!"
Written and Directed by Emilio Estevez (Wisdom), the film features Estevez himself as James St. James and his brother, a pre-winning Charlie Sheen (Platoon) as Carl Taylor. The two are excellent when on-screen together which really shouldn’t come as a surprise considering they are brothers. It's also interesting to see Sheen playing the relatively normal Carl compared to Estevez's wild and crazy James. Certainly when looking at how the two ended up, its bizarre to say the least. It also stars Leslie Hope (Jack Bauer’s ill-fated wife on 24) as a campaign executive, Dean Cameron (Summer School) as a pizza man, John Getz (The Fly) as a sleazy industrialist and Keith David (The Thing) as Louis, a psychotic Vietnam vet who just happens to be the two protagonist’s supervisor. Louis, as we will see later, is a real highlight in this film and an incredibly memorable character in a film full of them. Co-stars Hawk Wolinski (songwriter known for work on Cobra) and John Lavachielli (Rocketeer) turn up as bumbling hitmen while Geoffrey Blake (Apollo 13) and Cameron Dye (Valley Girl) play rival garbage men and foils to Estevez and Sheen. Rounding out the cast are John Putch (Jaws 3-D’s Sean Brody!!) and Tommy Hinkley (lol, played Cop #1 in Lethal Weapon 2!) as two completely inept bike cops. Finally there is Darrell Larson (Stepmom) as Jack Berger, the murder victim and eventual body.
"Ssh, you'll blurt out where the coke's hidden."
So yes, outside of Sheen, Estevez and possibly David, the rest of the cast is pretty much completely unknown, but that doesn’t stop them from putting forth a stellar effort here. Getz is great as the smarmy Maxwell Potterdam, a ruthless businessman that will stop at nothing to dump his toxic waste off-shore and damage the environment to save money. The two bike cops (Putch & Hinkley) are hilarious in their own right, and indeed provide a very funny moment when they aren’t busy bumbling around, watching their bikes fall over or generally acting like douchebags. The two co-workers of Sheen & Estevez (Blake & Dye) are also great, plotting revenge after being blasted with an exploding air bag full of sh*t. Yes, that’s right, they get sh*t fired onto them, and its pretty damn funny if you ask me. The hitmen (Wolinksi and Lavachielli) are nothing short of brilliant in every scene. From their health club debate, their argument over radio stations, origami cranes and even a taser gun, these two characters provide not only some uproarious moments but also some wonderfully funny dialogue. Hope is perfect in her role as Sheen’s love interest and has several moments of her own. Sheen & Estevez work perfectly, both together and apart, and it is clear that they were having a lot of fun on this film. They debate over such things as phrenology, the perfect drinking air, harelips and so much more. It really is a treat to watch these two basically just be themselves on screen.
"It looks like you boys are in some serious shit here."
However, the real star of this film is Keith David in the role of Louis. David had been one of my favourite actors, ever since I saw him in The Thing, though nothing could have prepared me for the absolute brilliance of his character here. Louis, the crazed combat vet, is the most entertaining part of this movie and pretty much owns every single scene that he is in. When he’s not drawing casual sketches of boardwalks being attacked by helicopters he is busy educating Estevez on the sacred things of the universe, one of which happens to be another man’s fries. He has Vietnam flashbacks, ties up not one but two sets of cops in an extremely funny way, waxes poetic on being back in Fubai, holds people hostage with a pellet gun and spends a good deal of time holding back from bashing both Estevez and Cameron. Louis is a personal hero of mine, as his crazed combat veteran demeanour is a treat to watch, and David really sunk his teeth into this role. In an era of over the top performances, David’s stands out to me as one that simply must be seen at least once, it is that good.
"Trash can lid symphony...take one."
So to cover all the hilarity in this film, I would be typing out a diatribe, and that’s not my style. Let’s just say there’s a lot. If you want people rolling bowling balls down alley’s it’s here. Perhaps you would prefer a car explosion or a garbage truck with no brakes? Check. Maybe you just want some good old fashioned fight scenes or a car chase? Well they’re here too, as a lot is packed into this film. There are some great moments while Carl & James are on their route, including the scene where they first discover the body, which is fantastic. The hitmen arguing about the Taser gun on the beach is another highlight, as is the grand finale when the evil Potterdam finally gets his and takes a trip down one hell of a nasty waterslide. There is also some excellent reggae music in this film courtesy of Sly & Robbie as well as popular band Third World. So yeah, there’s a little something for everyone here and the majority of it is good. Though the message about protecting the environment does at times come across as a little preachy, it in no way hinders the enjoyment of this film.
Since it’s a personal favourite of mine I have had to step back and give it the old critical assessment as opposed to just firing it out a high rating because I love it. It’s not the best film by any means, but it’s got some great dialogue, some truly wild scenes and Estevez manages to keep the whole thing together without losing control. While there are certainly better films, I have a special place in my heart for this one, as it has never failed to provide me with some real honest to goodness laugh out loud moments. For that alone I will be generous and give it a
6.5/10 which is a lot higher than most would. At the end of the day it’s just a harmless piece of entertainment and if that’s what you are looking for then give this one a shot and you should be pleasantly surprised.
