The Devil Dared Me To

Starring: Chris Stapp, Matt Heath, Bonnie Soaper, Phil Brough

Synopsis:

The Devil Dared Me To follows the story of daredevil stuntman Randy Cambell and his quest to follow in his late father's footsteps and become New Zealand's greatest daredevil stuntman. Ever since growing up as a young boy on a remote New Zealand sheep-farm, Randy has dreamed of performing the ultimate daredevil stunt: jumping across Cook Strait in a rocket car. It is this dream that sends him on his quest from the South Island sheep farm to the bright lights of Auckland city. Along the way Randy teams up with the travelling misfit stunt-team the Timaru Hellriders, is employed by mentor-turned nemesis stunt co-ordinator Dick Johansonson, and meets the love of his life, the one-legged cunning stunt babe Tracy "Tragedy" Jones.

The Devil Dared me to is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in a long time, and I probably haven’t laughed as much since seeing Black Dynamite. It has a no nonsense, balls-to-the-wall attitude and a sense of humour so un-pc it would make the Farelly Brothers choke on their popcorn.

The film starts as it means to go on, as a young Randy Campbell attempts to jump Cook Strait – a 15 mile stretch of water that separates the North and South islands – on a girly pedal bike with a couple of fireworks attached. Luckily he fails to even clear the ramp, breaking his wrist in the process – something that is completely ignored by his uncle!

Randy’s best mate is Spanners, whose dad is a mechanic for the Timaru Hellriders, a rag-tag group of daredevils led by the photogenic Dick Johansonson, who rumour has it has lost his nerve. When Dick asks for volunteers to lie down in front of his jump, naturally Randy’s hand shoots up. Lying on a dirty mattress, waiting for Dick to jump over him, ten year old Randy meets the girl of his dreams, Tracy Jones – but people call her Tragedy...

When Randy grows up, he works for the Hellriders, but unfortunately not as a stuntman – Dick has him cleaning out the portaloos (some real gross-out humour here – the first one is funny, the second just gratuitous).

The Hellrider’s show is infested with Health and Safety workers who refuse the team to do any dangerous stunts (“you’ll have to get a fire permit from the council. This ramp is not a through-way, go around. Around!”) and it looks as if the team are about to lose a lucrative contract they were about to sign with the slimy Sheldon Snake. However Randy saves the day with a spectacular stunt, and soon his star is on the rise...but Dick isn’t going to take it lying down.

This film is just so funny all the way to the end. It even has a sweet reason for it’s title – when Sheldon Snake appeared, I thought I had this pegged, but no, it goes in a completely different direction.

My favourite character is Spanner’s Dad, played by Andrew Beatie. The way he talks is just hilarious. And the funniest moment for me is when he and Spanner try to talk Randy out of a dangerous stunt, and Spanner’s Dad has to tell him in graphic detail exactly what happened to the last person who tried it, back in 1983...

There are numerous directors who’ve tried to emulate the gross-out humour of the early Peter Jackson movies, such as Bad Taste and Braindead. Fortunately Chris Stapp avoids that trap and instead emulates a no nonsense, profanity-laden plain speaking approach.Chris had been developing the character (or alter-ego) of Randy Campbell for some time, and had appeared on numerous tv shows as Randy.

Even when the film goes for broke with the humour (an Airplane! Style sight gag involving prison rape!), it’s impossible to take offence as the film just has so much heart and spirit. The stunts themselves are all excellent and painful to watch. There is a whole sequence where the gang end up as movie stunt-men and Randy has to be punched in the jaw and fall face first through a glass coffee table...again and again... and again.

Considering everything that had gone before it, it might feel strange that the climax of the film relies so heavily on a CGI-laden stunt, but what the heck – it’s earned it and it doesn’t knock you out of the moment, you’re anxious to know what’s going to happen. It’s a wonderful feel-good moment and just when it’s in danger of getting too schmaltzy, in comes that self-deprecating humour once more!

Verdict

Pure genius on a little silver disc. If you like your humour a little wild, then check this out. Funniest movie I’ve seen in ages.

9 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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