Back by Midnight (2002)

Good to see they can still make these kinda films

I can not believe this movie has gotten a low rating. A low rating to a Rodney D movie is something like The Godson... this is a great comedy that seems like it was one of those watchable comedies from the 80's that used to get made before every director went chasing acadamey awards, emmis, CGO break throughs....... well, this movie was hard for me to beleive it was done in 2002.

It's refreshing to see an old school type of comedy that you can just sit and enjoy and not see some god damn actor try to do some award winning acadamey award speech, and not go for some extreme over the top gross out kinda scene, not to mention i'm glad its a comedy thats not family or a teen based one.

Rondeys the wardon of a jail somewhere in Texas. But instead of that story about how all the inmates hate him, its the oppisote, they love him, he loves them, they get alogn great and he takes care of them like family. But the guy who owns the prison played by Randy Qaid wants to fire Rodney and sell off the prison or something. Anyway, he wont give them money to fix the prison up so Rodney lets a few of his boys sneak out of prison and steal some equipment from Randy Quaid's charactor's Walmart kinda shopping mall. And some misshappens happen along the way.

Its just a fun movie, it's funny in parts, not extreme funny, but humours enough to pass as decent. It's got a hell of a cast of known faces who all work well. So ignore these morons rating it low winging about it not being like Back To School... why would he ever make a duplicate movie? What, did they expect a remake or something of BTS? GET OVER IT and enjoy this as something else. And respect that these kind of movies that are just for fun like you dont see much of anymore thats not aimed at Teenagers, family or a parody of some sort, plus it doesnt go relying a script written around a CGI effect. It's a plane and simple old school kind of comedy and I give it the thumbs up.

Glad to see Phil Lamar (Mad TV) in this movie. I been wondering what the UPS Guys been up to. April 28, 2006

*yawn

It had a couple laughs, but it got very old after the first 30 minutes, and then it started falling into the very dumb category. Like "naked gun" kind of dumb, maybe even worse than that April 11, 2005

Fun, funny, and enjoyable

Watch it, you'll be surprised. It's great to see Rodney, though not in the best of health, still able to pull it off.

Not his best, but still a very entertaining flick.

March 15, 2005

Some funny moments.

I got exactly what I expected from this film. An off beat film that delivers just enough laughs. Old School 80's type comedy. Alot of cameo's from comedians I didn't even know were still alive. It was nice to see Paul Rodriquez again. I used to like his stand up routine. For those of you who don't know who he is, he was like the origional George Lopez. I always wondered what had happend to him.

The film could have really done without Randy Quaid and Kirsty Alley. They're both annoying and have some really annoying scenes together.

Harland Williams has a few funny scenes in this film. They should have given Tony Cox some decent dialogue though. It was a waste having him in this film and giving his character a quiet persona.

Nell Carter also has a cameo role in this film. I'm pretty damn sure I'm not the only one who also forgot about her. March 10, 2005

"Back By Midnight" Is No "Back To School"

In one of his last movie roles, an ailing Rodney Dangerfield plays Jake Puloski, the warden of a run down, minimum security prison. Randy Quaid plays Eli Rockwood, the owner of that privately run prison, as well the owner of Rockwood Department Stores. When Jake asks Eli for money to get new equipment and to make repairs to the prison, Eli refuses. Eli also informs Jake that his contract as prison warden will not be renewed, which means that Jake will be forced to retire in two months. Jake comes up with a scheme to have the inmates sneak out of prison and steal exercise equipment and furniture from different Rockwood Department Stores, to be put to use in the prison. Of course, the prisoners have to be back by midnight in their cells before the guard does his nightly bed check.

Like Rodney, the jokes in this movie are old and tired. The supporting cast does its best to carry the film, especially Gilbert Gottfried as a security guard, Harland Williams as the sheriff, and Mad TV's Phil LaMarr as a convict named Mile Away. The funniest scene involves a Valentine's Day dance in the prison. Any inmate who doesn't have a wife or a girlfriend is given an inflatable doll to dance with! With regard to the DVD, it doesn't have a theatrical trailer or any other bonus features. For die hard fans of Rodney Dangerfield, like myself, this movie is worth watching once. For casual fans, you'd be better off watching one of Rodney's earlier, classic movies. March 7, 2005

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