Pretty Good

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I am a longtime fan of Christopher Guest. I loved "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show." And I very much enjoyed "A Mighty Wind." I could watch these three films over and over again anytime.Not so with "For Your Consideration." Maybe because the characters were a bit mean- lacked the heart to go along with the humor. Whatever- I don't expect Mr Guest to strike gold every time.I found "Mascots" to be far below "For Your Consideration." The theme was meh-it meant nothing to me; the mascots were not especially funny, and their performances were a bore. Also, there were way, way too many characters to care about any of them. IMO, "Mascots" is best described as a weak retread of Guest's previous good work. The only bit I enjoyed was the cameo appearance by Corky St Clair.Perhaps Mr Guest is done with his Mockumentaries. However...if he is looking for inspiration, I suggest he get hold of a copy of the book "Pigeons" by Andrew D Blechman.www.amazon.com/Pigeons-Fascinating-Worlds-Revered- Reviled/dp/0802143288/ref=sr_1_1? s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489727451&sr=1-1&keywords=pigeons

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.

I love Best In Show. It's probably in my top 20 favorite movies list of all time. But Mascots is almost un-watchable. It is pretty much exactly the same as BIS, a bunch of quirky characters coming together for a competitive, ending with a 1 year followed up. With most of the same stars and a ton of improv practice from This Is Spinal Tap, BIS, Waiting for Guffman and the folk singing one (terrible as well, I can't even remember the name), you would think there would be some laughs......but i just couldn't even bring myself to smile. The were a couple characters that had the potential to be funny, but really all they did was recycle them from the other movies. And it just didn't work. This formula that they use over and over is just not funny anymore.

Not the greatest film, but has plenty of laughs and guffaws. Seeing this cast is like seeing old friends. There's hilarity, stupidity, and complete schizoid moments that make absolutely no sense at all. But hey, remember that this is a C. Guest film. What more were you expecting? At a budget of the listed $20,000,000, you can be sure a LOT of that went into the elaborate costumes and pro for the mascots.That is, unless they raided a lot of high school and community college storage bins. Like other mockumentary films by Mr. Guest, get past the character set-ups and the pay-off is in the competition. It does not disappoint!I will recommend this ONLY to friends who also enjoy the antics of Christopher Guest.