When I was in fourth grade, my teacher decided to show it to the class Young Frankenstein. Not for educational reasons, of course. It was the end of the school year, everyone was tired, and one of my classmates had talked about it enough that she thought we all seemed to be similar to the idea. My parents found out, were thrilled that I had enjoyed the movie, and that's where my love for it began Mel Brooks' work. For all that Robin Hood: Men in leotards is probably my favorite of his movies, the movie my family cites the most is easy History of the World: Part Imeaning my anticipation for the television sequel is 41 years in the making, Hulu's History of the World: Part II was at an all-time high. But did it live up to my expectations?
Like the original movie, History of the World: Part II is divided into segments that span, well… the history of the world. But because the series is a four-night event, with two episodes per night, they have a lot more room to play with even more eras and more historical figures. The movie was more of a parody of the historical epics that were so prominent in the Golden Age, with the historical figures - Louis XVI, Emperor Nero, etc. - being just part of the larger story that usually followed a group of ordinary people.
Part II's longer segments are mostly along the same lines. The "Civil War" segments follow a trio of soldiers working under Ulysses S. Grant(Ike Barinholtz), the "Russian Revolution" usually follows Schmuck Mudman (Nick Krul) who regularly delivers food to Vladimir Lenin and other Soviet leaders, etc. Even the segments following the life of Jesus Christ (Jay Ellis) mainly focuses on the people around him. The exception to this rule is the recurring segments featuring 1972 presidential hopeful Shirley Chisholm (Wanda Sykes) who is himself a historical figure, but not as widely recognized as the others - make no mistake, that is the failure of history, not of Chisholm himself.
While there are a few other repeated segments - some of which even intersect - there are also plenty of bite-sized comedic moments. These are more reminiscent of the "Spanish Inquisition" segment from the film, which featured real-life nightmarish priest Padre Torquemada (played by Brooks) in a classic Hollywood-style musical number. Be it Sigmund Freud (Taika Waititi) Master Class, or William Shakespeare's (Josh Gad) writers' room, the shorter one-off segments make the larger-than-life figures the butt of a very accessible gag.
The series also makes the very wise choice to adapt the tone of the sketches to their new medium. They don't have the epic scale of the old Hollywood movies that Brooks parodied, opting instead to parody the vast array of programming we can find on television today. The "Civil War" and "Russian Revolution" feel like the big-budget historical series you'll find on premium channels, while "Shirley Chisholm" is a cozy 1970s sitcom (one I'd absolutely binge on if it were a real one). show was), and the three separate segments about Jesus and his apostles are either direct parodies of existing shows or the kind of movie you'd watch while browsing the channels at 11:30pm and decide to watch, even though you probably own the DVD. Many of the shorter one-off segments are presented as commercials, either from the present or the golden age of TV's past. What makes History of the World: Part II work is so good it's not a TV show trying to pretend it's a really long movie. It thrives in the shorter medium. It embraces it and uses it to its best advantage.
An argument heard all too often is that Mel Brooks films could never be made today. The thinking there usually begins and ends with the fact that Brooks' earlier work sometimes contained expressions and images that we now know are inappropriate. What they usually miss, however, is that Brooks' work doesn't precipitate. The joke in it Flaming Saddles isn't that people hurl insults at Sheriff Bart (Cleavon Little), but that this whole town is so blinded by their prejudices, they can't imagine a black man doing his job right.
History of the World: Part II holds this spirit - in fact the same spirit you can see throughout Brooks' work. Those in power are always the primary target of the most scathing criticism - always delivered with a smile, because this is comedy after all. The jokes are a little obvious at times, but that's honestly part of the charm (although the less I say about the rare bouts of toilet humor the better).
Throughout the series, it's very clear that Barinholtz, Kroll, Sykes, and showrunner David Stass have a deep respect and understanding for Brooks' work. While Brooks himself has also served as a writer for the series, just enough Easter eggs and references to his past work have been sprinkled throughout that it's clear the project is a labor of love on the part of those who recognize the 96-year-old comedian. genius. So what it ultimately becomes is not only a worthy sequel to one of Brooks's best and most quotable works, but also a loving tribute to his entire body of work. So did History of the World: Part II meet my expectations? In a word, yes. This review has reached its natural conclusion.
Judgement: A-
History of the World: Part II begins its four-night streaming event on March 6 on Hulu.
Comments
Post a Comment