Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Brainsbell The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Clifton Johnson I really liked "Best In Show"...but I'm not sure that it needed to be re-made with mascots. There are some fun moments and performances here, but it feels less real and less sympathetic to the characters. Guest brought the same sensibility, but not as much heart.

PyroSikTh Mascots is a mockumentary in the vein of This is Spinal Tap, but this time it's sporting mascots; those who dress up in costumes to keep the crowd entertained in lulls on the field, be it football, hockey, cricket, whatever. The film follows a number of different mascot acts, from a husband and wife double act having marriage troubles to a feminist dancer who takes it a little too seriously, to a third generation British mascot to a vulgar "bad boy" mascot for Canadian hockey, and a number of others. We follow them as they all come together for a Mascotting competition, where they show off their acts and compete for the Gold Fluffy.Mascots is a little light on laughs, even though it does try it's best to be a laugh-a- minute kind of comedy. Empirically I don't think I really laughed out loud at all, maybe once. Usually it was just a little chuckle. So on a ROFL to Heh rating, it's definitely on the lower end. Most of its humour is more satirical in nature, poking fun at the event and those who take part, but honestly it's most enjoyable moments are when it ditches the satire and embraces full entertainment. By the third act I didn't care about the characters underneath the costumes and just wanted more of the performances themselves. The combination of dance and slapstick fused together to create the film's most interesting moments, like the British guy's hedgehog trying to set up a cup of tea and getting distracted by footballs, or a plumber having a dance-off with a s**t that bursts out of a toilet. Even the super- serious art/dance performance of the feminist armadillo was far more entertaining than much of the movie, despite it depicting the audience as thoroughly bored.I definitely found a nationalistic divide in the characters too. The British guy with his wife and father were probably my favourite characters, garnering the biggest laughs. Likewise the Canadian hockey mascot was also hugely entertaining. Maybe I found them more entertaining because I'm British, or maybe it's because Christopher Guest has a better grasp on British humour than American, or maybe it's because the American actors and actresses couldn't quite hit the same satirical notes that the British and Irish actors could? I honestly don't know, but the divide in quality was certainly noticeable. Other highlights include the conversation between an old-timer and a dwarf, and a conversation about Furries.There are worse ways to while away the time than by watching Mascots. Even though this is the longest I've gone between watching and reviewing, Mascots was easily forgettable after a couple of hours, but I can't really say it was bad. If you want a laugh-out-loud comedy, look somewhere else, if you want a mockumentary Mascots hits the spot as well as any other, but won't be remembered or marked as one of the greats. At best I find myself completely apathetic to it. I give it an okay 5/10.

funcrunch I never thought I'd be writing a negative review of a Christopher Guest mockumentary. "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and - especially - "A Mighty Wind" are some of my favorite films; I could watch them again and again. "For Your Consideration" was not great, but I figured that if I didn't have such high expectations from Guest's previous films, I might have enjoyed it more."Mascots", however, simply fell flat. I strained to find laugh lines; the humor was coarse or awkward when it existed at all. I understand that the lines in these films are improvised, but surely they do multiple takes of each scene to see what comes out best. If what is in this film represents the best improvisation this cast has to offer, I shudder to think what was left on the cutting room floor.Though the newcomers had some funny moments, the veteran cast members were generally better. Fred Willard never fails to please; though he is now showing his age, he's still great at portraying the dimmest person in the room. Bringing back Corky St. Clair from "Guffman" was great for the trailer to pull in fans, but ultimately didn't amount to much. There just didn't seem to be the feeling of a solid ensemble cast like there was in previous films.I think another problem was the subject matter. While all the other films chronicled events that actually take place in real life - a small town musical production, a dog show, a folk music tribute, the Academy Awards - this unconvincing "World Mascot Association championship" was just an excuse for silly sight gags and furry jokes. And unlike Guffman and Mighty Wind, I'm pretty sure none of the lead actors did their own performances. (If I'm wrong on that, it still doesn't affect my rating.)I must admit, though, that I loved the hedgehog act. That alone gets two stars out of me. And the pencil sharpener would make a great Halloween costume.

pamma09 I am a fan of Christopher Guests movies and even put the release date of this on my calendar. WOW what a disappointment. I watched the whole thing waiting for it to get better and it never did. The characters with their bland speaking and a few funny lines never drew me into their lives. I actually was not drawn into any of the characters - they were either not funny or it was blatantly not entertaining. I expected Jane Lynch's character to be funny - about the only funny part was her facial expressions when the judges were watching the competition. In fact the lead up to the competition was sad - so sad. I would really like to say something good about this film but honestly I can't. And to be very honest it was a waste of my time - please do better next time Mr. Guest.