Maybe I was just in the mood for something light-hearted after a string of series screenings but I found Almost Heroes to be a fun experience. It could also be Chris Farley. I haven’t watched any of his movies in more than a decade and I was refreshed by his brash yet calculated style. I can’t think of an actor/comedian like him today.
As a Western Comedy, Almost Heroes succeeds in not trying to get meaningful. Too many farces these days get lost in a second act development where the characters have a falling out and then must overcome some forced feelings to get back together. There’s something to be said for straight comedy, a movie for laughs with no delusions about being emotional. When Almost Heroes almost steps into that pitfall briefly, I cringed but it was thankfully just a fleeting thought before the hilarious, and yes juvenile, humor proceeded.
But like Farley’s antics, the movie’s childish appeal is calculated with good timing. There are some genuinely good laughs here and it’s no surprise that director Christopher Guest was at the helm. Like Adam Sandler’s underrated Ridiculous Six, this is one of the few comedic variations on the Western genre that gets it right.
Watched on Tubi.
