Saturday, November 10, 2012

Penny Thoughts ‘12—A Lesson with John (2012) **½


NR, 5 min.
Director/Writer: Michael D. Ratner
Starring: John McEnroe, Michael D. Ratner

What a strange little movie to find in the extra features of “Piranha 3DD” of all places. Perhaps The Weinstein Company put this short in the extras on several of their titles. It’s a five-minute flick starring John McEnroe as himself giving a tennis lesson to a nerdy jerk. The writer and director of the movie plays the nerjerk. He uses this forum to give McEnroe a chance to sound off in the way that made such a name for him during his days on the international tennis circuit.


The movie is OK. It’s fun to see McEnroe lose his cool with this guy and string a few expletives together, but that’s about all that happens in it. It misses its opportunity to really play around with McEnroe’s volatile image. It could have McEnroe spend some time trying to control his rage before exploding into an extended tirade. It could’ve turned the tables on McEnroe and involved the clashing of his with a similar personality. Instead it is content to establish both personalities as what they are from the start. The nerjerk is an uncoordinated dweeb that deserves what he gets. McEnroe, however, deserves more.

Watch the movie at Funny or Die below.




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