Now on DVD: My Name is Bruce

I saw previews for the movie My Name is Bruce on TV and, not wanting to see the edited-for-TV version before the unedited version of the movie, I took the time to watch it this weekend.

It was one of the lamest movies I have ever watched. But, it also proved to be a somewhat funny film.

I have seen actor Bruce Campbell in everything from Army of Darkness to the television series Burn Notice. This time, however, he was playing himself in what is basically a spoof of his career.

In the movie, Campbell, who is well-known for his various roles in B-movies, is recruited by a small town to help them fight a Chinese demon (one of the fakest monsters I've seen; which was either done by accident or on purpose).

The movie reminded me, in some ways, as a combination of the movies Three Amigos and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Basically, for the movie to work, you have to believe there are whole communities out there that actually believe a person can fight real-life monsters just because he does it in the movies. There were some funny moments (like when Campbell realizes he is fighting a real demon and then shows how much of a coward he really is). But, there were just as many scenes that will cause you to roll your eyes and wonder why you bothered watching the movie.

To his credit, Campbell was excellent in this film. It's hard enough for an actor to play themselves in a film. He took it a step further and portrayed himself as a depressed, womanizing alcoholic who feels his career is going nowhere. It set up his redemption at the end and made what could have been a terrible movie halfway entertaining.

Final opinion: I would be lying if I told you this was the best movie I have watched this year. But, mostly because of Campbell's performance, this movie is better than you would expect it to be. You might not fall in love with it but you will be entertained.

Average Netflix Grade: 3.1 stars out of a possible 5.

My Grade: 3 stars.