Four Lions: Movie Review

“Too soon” – a phrase arguably pinned to Tina Fey for her infamous Palin impressions, to Quentin Tarantino for re-writing Hitler’s demise, the list goes on. The question is, how exactly does one constitute what’s “too soon” for satire? First time writer/director Chris Morris, with fierce audacity, mocks terrorism in his upcoming film Four Lions, centered around five wannabe jihadis.

Check out the movie’s review below…

The Players:

Director: Chris Morris
Writers: Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Chris Morris, Sam Bain
Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Kayvan Novak, Nigel Lindsay, Darren Boyd, Riz Ahmed

The Plot:

In short, five British men are dead set on becoming terrorists… but can’t quite pull it off.

The Good:

Comedy: The men in this film are total and utter buffoons. They’re aiming rocket launchers in the wrong direction, producing “threatening” videos with guns that were most likely made at Toys R Us, and are kicked out of a Pakistani training camp after 24 hours. The concept itself, wannabe terrorists who fail miserably, is both twisted/hilarious. This is a two hour display of sheer idiocy from the performances to every single piece of dialogue.
Balls-y: Four Lions is comparable to a bomb that KEEPS exploding (pun certainly intended). Just when you think Morris has exceeded his “balls” quota, bam (!) goes the next slur/insult/affront.
Quality: This film borderlines absurdity along the lines of concept and content, but it’s surprisingly well made. The structure, the writing, the cinematography – it works.

The Bad (Only If You Voted for Bush):

A Comedy About Terrorism: What makes Four Lions incredibly awesome is what makes it equally controversial. This film should leave 99% of the conservative American population both enraged and offended. And, make no mistake, this film is certainly offensive – but what good comedies aren’t? The point is, a solid sense of humor is required for this one.