Let's Go To Prison

Title: Let's Go To Prison (2006)
Dir: Bob Odenkirk
Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars

Initially, I wouldn't touch this film with a 10-foot pole. But then I started watching Arrested Development. And Gob Bluth stole my heart. So how could I resist a Will Arnett prison movie? Especially when "Key Decisions" is one of my favorite episodes.

In this comedy, career criminal John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard) attempts to besmirch the name of the judge who imprisoned him by setting up the deceased judge's son, Nelson (Will Arnett). He gets Nelson wrongfully thrown in jail, where John pretends to befriend the naive rich kid in order to torture him further.

Despite being directed by 1/2 of Mr Show and written by 2/11 of The State, this film isn't as funny as I had hoped. Shepard has an amusing line here and there, but most of the movie's humor comes from Arnett just playing an uncomfortable white guy. My favorite part of the movie is Will trying to sing "Move It" by Technotronic. He is delightfully awkward.

Beyond that, Let's Go to Prison doesn't offer much. Mostly there are a lot of gay rape prison jokes. Woot. I enjoyed the darker moments, where the characters are just back-stabbing bastards. But "don't drop the soap" gags just don't do it for me.