THE SASQUATCH DUMPLING GANG
** out of *****
Reviewed by Finger_Of_DOOM

Screening in the 2006 New Zealand International Film Festival
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Genres
Comedy

2006
Written and directed by
Tim Skousen
Cast
Jeremy Sumpter .... Gavin Gore
Justin Long .... Zerk Wilder
Carl Weathers .... Dr. Artimus Snodgrass
Rob Pinkston .... Maynard Keyes
Joey Kern .... Shirts
Hubbel Palmer .... Hobie Plumber
Michael Mitchell .... Shane Bagwell
Veanne Cox .... Lenora Gore
Ray Santiago .... Crone
Stephen Tobolowsky .... Ernie Dalrymple
Addie Land .... Sophie Suchowski
Jeff D'Agostino .... Dagan
Jon Gries .... Officer Ed Chillcut

Remember in school how there was always that one kid who was a total geek? But this geek didn’t know he was a geek, in his mind this guy was the bee’s knees. Always trying to act cool, always trying to wear cool clothes but not quite getting there, always tying to fit in, trying way too hard. That’s exactly like this film. The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang tries way too hard to be cool and is the first (that I’ve seen anyway, and let’s hope it’s the last) that tries to ride on the Napoleon Dynamite bandwagon.

The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang tells the story of a gang of friends; Gavin (Jeremy Sumpter), Maynard (Rob Pinkston), and Hobie (Hubbel Palmer). They’re a bunch of fantasy/sci-fi fanatics that like to get together and role play battles with giant foam weapons. One day while in the woods searching for Native American arrow heads they stumble upon some giant tracks and a lump of poo that very could be those of the Sasquatch. Massive media hype spreads about the discovery and a world famous Sasquatch expert Dr. Artimus Snodgrass (Carl Weathers) arrives in town to investigate whether the tracks and poo are indeed those of the Sasquatch. Meanwhile Gavin’s neighbours Zerk (Justin Long) and Shirts (Joey Kern) are profiting from this exposure online in order to help pay off Zerk’s credit card debt.     

I hate having to compare films, usually I like to find a film’s unique voice and judge it on its own merits. However in this case it’s hard to find that unique voice. For starters the film’s tone is similar to that of Napoleon Dynamite; it’s laid back over-the-topness is stamped all across it and there are characters that feel like rejects from Jared and Jerusha Hess’ script. One in particular, Shirts (Joey Kern) who has one of those ironic names because…he’s always shirtless and is basically a stoned, less geeky-looking version of Kip Dynamite, silly voice and all (but in Kern’s case it sounds a little more camp, if that’s even possible). The similarities don’t end there; the film’s producer, Jeremy Coon, also produced Napoleon Dynamite and cinematographer Munn Powell shot both films, and even Napoleon himself, Jon Heder, makes a cameo appearance. So there you go.

Right from the get go the film stumbles along to reveal its plot. With the use of the unconventional fractured narrative, scenes jump in time between main characters and eventually all meet up in the end. If used effectively a fractured narrative can add a different and altogether interesting dynamic to the film, such is the case with Quentin Taratino’s brilliant Pulp Fiction but in this case it appears as if it’s used as a device to conceal the lameness that is this film’s story. Having it run its course would just bore the audience to tears, at least this way it keeps you watching.

I was also disappointed with the cast, just about everyone that appeared in this film felt stilted and unsure of their characters, Justin Long being the only possible exception. He managed to be humorous and entertaining to watch, however his shtick got old real fast. The supporting cast just felt like they really didn’t want to be in this movie. This includes Carl Weathers. What happened to this guy? It seems just like yesterday he was kicking some ass alongside Arnold in Predator and now he’s relegated to bit parts in films and the occasional (albeit brilliant) appearances in the sadly cancelled Fox TV series Arrested Development.

I can certainly understand what the filmmakers were trying to do with The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang, but I have a feeling this film would have worked better had they developed their own brand of humour rather than used another as a template. Another pass at the script would also have helped, and casting some decent character actors would have benefited this project enormously (I suspect the film’s low budget wouldn’t allow this, but when has that stopped aspiring and determined filmmakers?).

In the end, I didn’t really connect with any of the otherwise-hollow characters, daft story or copy-cat sense of humour. The Sasquatch Dumpling Gang ultimately felt like the less funny distant cousin of Napoleon Dynamite, that cousin most people tend to ignore at a family reunion.

This film will screen in Wellington on July 25th at 8:30pm and July 26th at 4:00pm at the Paramount Theatre. Refer to the Film Fest homepage for more information.

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