Monday, May 24, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 9 A gross 'MacGruber' By BEN VERDI There Gaily Arts Writer descrihi Has anyone ever handed you one of their shoes and said, "You have to smell this!" even though you've just seen the same shoe ominously repulse Gruber other smellers? At Quality16 "MacGruber" and Rave is that putrid shoe Universal transferred onto the screen. In all honesty, this film should make you puke, but - if you're a true friend to the art of film - you'll give it a whiff, only to hate yourself later. Rarely does a film reach the elusive "so-bad-it's-good" level of films like "Snakes on a Plane" and "Highland- er" (which navigate different paths to the same end of the spectrum), but "MacGruber" might be ready to inherit the throne reserved for the best horrible movie in existence. Because of the "Saturday Night Live" skit that spurred the film, which stars "SNL" cast members Will Forte and Kristen Wiig along with Ryan Phillippe ("Stop-Loss"), one would expect a lot of "bomb" metaphors to pop up in any review of such an atrocious piece of filmmak- ing. MacGruber, played by Forte, is essentially a poor man's MacGyver, whose job it is to defuse bombs to presumably save the world. But the bomb metaphor for the film is too easy and simplistic. its view into wha Watchin a stick o Rema twice in relativel is, when ful, bei offer ora happens also gett about fo long as i co-star' the ghos former Rudolph defining is a better comparison for logic makes sense. ng how badly this film makes In essence, he's not just instruct- ers feel, and it's built right ing us in how to adequately secure at we're forced to call the plot: vegetables in our colons. He's also ag this film feels like shoving offering existential insight into how fcelery up your own butt. to watch, or rather how to stomach, rkably, this act happens this film. While the two tasks sound "MacGruber," in moments equally disturbing and painful (the y crucial to the story - that celery gag, and spending money to we aren't witnessing a tear- see "MacGruber"), we must be pre- gging, out-of-options Forte pared for the worst parts before we al sex to another man (which embark on either task. three different times). We Likewise, we must not smell the to see Forte's bare bottom for rotten shoes of our friends until ur minutes, which is about as we've seen the sickened faces of our it takes him to-have sex with peers who have also smelled them, Wiig. He then goes at it with so we know what we're signing up st of his dead wife, played by for. And, in life, we must know what "SNL" cast member Maya we're getting into before we make in what's sure tobe a career- decisions that have potentially ter- role. rible consequences. Consider the disgusting parts of "MacGruber" to be the thick end likestic ing of a celery stick you may or may not k choose to jam into yourself Now ery up your ... that you know every disgusting and haunting image the film provides, you should have no trouble decid- ing whether or not you can handle e is a brief bit of relevant watching 99 minutes of it. If you do n in this celery business, decide to sit through it, don't say you r, that makes the act reso- weren't warned. You have no one to h viewers after the film ends. blame but yourself ber explains to us, after he's Oh wait, one more thing: MacGru- :e the gag the first time: "It ber eats the celery when he's done. MARIO From Page 8 of "Galaxy 2" are identical to the first "Galay" game. Tle gameplay con- sists of hopping from world to world, lacing challenges built on various planets and satellites. Players travel through space in search of shiny col- lectibles called Power Stars, running, jumping and boppingtheir way along. Throughout, they are fearlessly thrust into 3-D gravity mayhem, retro 2-D throwbacks and platforming per- fection. The sequel's additions to the "Gal- axy" formula are varied and fresh. New to the game is the inclusion of Yoshi, who has somehow managed to become cuter and cuter since his debut 20 years ago. Controlling Yoshi is a blast, largely because he retains that double-edged Yoshi thrill of the old Mario games - a sense of power coupled with great risk. New power- ups for Mario, including rock and cloud suits and a nifty drill are all inspired, exciting flourishes. Overall, "Galaxy 2" is more stream- lined, varied and engaging than its predecessor. Subtle edits to the game- play yield great results. This time out, the worlds have fewer challenges each, meaning there are more of them. Each manages to be a little bit more varied than in the last game, too, from grassy clusters of asteroids to monstrous labrynthine battleships. In "Super Mario Bros. 3" style, there's a world map, along with a simplified base hub, making navigation a breeze. The story and preliminary stages waste no time throwing players into the thrill-ride of exploring Mario's universe. And what a universe it is. "Super Mario Galaxy 2" features what might be the greatest level design in Nin- tendo's established history. Every single stage is a masterclass in art and game design - a consistent gameplay rollercoaster with consistently mind- blowing results. Just when you think you've experienced all the tricks of "Galaxy 2," it throws out a handful of new ones. The graphics are gorgeous- ly rendered: From the farthest star to Mario's mustache, "Galaxy 2" makes the most of the Wii's hardware. The orchestrated score is wonder- ful, treating old and new tunes alike with a heartfelt reverence. There is so much to love about this game, and it is clear that a lot of love went into making it. The only downside to "Galaxy 2" is its similarity to its predecessor. But while retaining much of that game's form, "Galaxy 2" manages to improve on it in crucial ways. It's hard even to imagine where Nintendo can go from here - single stages in "Galaxy 2" have more creativity than most devel- opers' entire games. If you own a Wii, you should be playing and loving this title. Heck, if you have ever loved video games, you need to be explor- ing this galaxy. It, cel Thers reflectio howevet nate wit MacGru just don sounds counter-intuitive, but you actually want to stick the thick end in, because if you stick the skinnier end in first, it'll just slip out." 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