film review: “get duked!”

By: Keaton Marcus

With theaters beginning to open up again, you may not think it’s all too safe to head back just yet, and that’s why we have stuff like Get Duked! The scatalogical comedy from first-time director Ninian Doff is just funny enough to entertain the folks that want to stick with the streaming services. Although its hyperactive and zany approach to the movie’s clever premise may not be for everyone, select groups that love fast-paced storytelling will consider this a wet-dream. Doff pulls no punches, and fuels this comedy-thriller combo with a fresh, young cast of likable characters, and a plot that’s disappointingly simple, but doesn’t drag. Occasionally, the movie is hit-or-miss in terms of the humor, which does lose a bit of steam towards the end of its quick 86 minutes, and the storytelling becomes so scattershot that you’ll find it hard to understand. I’ll tell you one thing, though, you will always be entertained.

Mentioned vaguely before, it’s these characters, these four teens, that keep things afloat during the low spots of the film. DJ Beatroot, Dean, and Duncan, the troublemakers, head to the Scottish highlands for a self-improvement course, but the other is a total nerd. That’s Ian, who is just there to have fun. The four are plunged right into danger, struggling to make it to their first camp before running into two mysterious hunters that want them dead. This is when the movie begins to tap into its thriller/horror side, but the half-assed attempts to make it a cohesive blend of both don’t always work out. Plenty of laughs hit you during the first 40 minutes, and the entire mystery is quite endearing, I just dislike the tonal shifts, which are, unfortunately, quite abrupt.

If it weren’t for the cast, if it weren’t for Viraj Junjea, Rian Gordon, Samuel Bottomley and Lewis Gribben, the movie would have succumbed to these flaws. These appealing actors do an excellent job, committing to the stereotypes of their wonderfully written characters. You’re compelled to watch them fight off these two masked villains, and that’s what matters most. Props to Mr. Doff, I’m officially invested in the protagonists of the movie. So these teens are attempting to win the Duke of Edinburgh award, “a laminated certificate”, boasts Ian. However, the two antagonists of this thing may or may not bear similarities with the Duke and Duchess. Don’t worry, I won’t go far enough as it spoil anything big.

What I also enjoy is the total embracing of the film’s R-rating. We get profanity and violence galore, so if you’re not a fan of some good old fashioned gore, stay away from this one. But if comfortable, watch the heck out of it! Accompanied by the movie’s dark humor, the violence is more than welcomed when necessary. The landscapes are also quite beautiful, and while it is spoiled a bit by all the foul language, you get several nice grasslands and hills to look at throughout. A perfect filming location, gleefully remote.

The issues lie with the thinness of it all. Doff has a clear vision, but doesn’t do anything extra. He plops his characters in the setting with landscape beauty, interrupted occasionally by violence and offensive (but welcome) laughs, and expressionistic music videos on acid trips. He attempts to poke fun at stereotypes once in a while, though his political and more earnest aspirations never hit consistently. You should be able to excuse such things in a comedy like this, but Doff appears to have a desire to tackle something heavier while providing laugh-out-loud moments.

Overall, I liked the film, it was an enjoyable, perfectly well-acted Amazon original supercharged with rote laughs that proves Doff a capable filmmaker. If you’re willing to take in all the violence and offensiveness, everything will be just OK. Sadly, once you see past the fast-paced gags, there’s not much there. Thankfully, it’ll work as a nice movie night with your friends, but, if you can, don’t be too attentive, the experience won’t be as fun. Turning your brain off will make it a great time, and may even distract you from the flaws.

The final opinion is: Though Get Duked! skims past some of the more thought-provoking ideas director Ninian Doff introduces, the oddity of its premise, solid performances and consistent laughs make it a time worth spending…$TREAM IT

"Get Duked!" is Fast, Funny, and Doesn't Have Much on the Mind

film review: “get duked!”

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