DVD Review - “American Dreamz”
GRADE: C+
“American Dreamz, dreams with a Z”. That is a line from the theme song of the fake reality game show featured in this hilarious spoof starring Hugh Grant and Mandy Moore. I appreciated the topical and timely humor in this pointed satire.
The jokes in this movie are fresh and funny. The scenes with the movies underdog Omar are sweet, even though he is an anti-American suicide bomber sent to kill the President as a contestant on an “American idol” type show. Sounds silly I know. The scenes with his cousin are the most hilarious part of this movie.
I could try and explain the ridiculous plot about a plan to kill the President and a love affair between a contestant and the host, but I want to point out what is the most original part of this film. This film is a farce portrayal of the Bush administration, and a right on target one at that. The President in this movie is a puppet and a sympathetic drone. The obvious hints of Texas, Willem Defoe’s “Carl Rove” like character and the Laura Bush look a like wife are the similarities we see to the Bush White House. I love seeing Dennis Quaid in any movie so this role was a treat. He plays the dopey President with more realism than our current one.
The musical spoofs, the American Idol references and the over the top contestants make for really solid laughs. Mandy Moore plays a good bitch in movies when she has to, this one much similar to her character in movie from a couple of years ago, “Saved”. Hugh Grant is disposable in his Ryan Seacrest/Simon Cowell hybrid. And I always love a good Jennifer Coolidge bit in a comedy, she is funny as the obsessive competitive mom. Seth Meyers is dead on as a talent agent, he does well for one of his first movie roles off of “Saturday Night Live.
This is a cute DVD rental, and a funny flick for those that like satirical material. This movie tanked at the movies, and should find an audience on DVD. “American Dreamz” is a fun ride.
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