CORKY ROMANO
SYNOPSIS:
Corky Romano (Chris Kattan) is an enthusiastic young veternarian with his own practice,
Poodles And Pussies. Skilful if occasionally accident-prone, Corky loves animals and
believes in free hugs for everyone - unlike his estranged criminal family, headed by his
father, elderly mobster 'Pops' Romano (Peter Falk). When it emerges that Pops may be about
to go to jail, Corky reunites with the family and is induced to go undercover
impersonating an FBI agent so the evidence against Pops can be destroyed.
Review by David Edwards:
As mindlessly inane comedies go, Corky Romano isn’t the worst. Chris Kattan
as the eponymous vet turned undercover infiltrator never quite plumbs the depths of say
Adam Sandler in Big Daddy or Martin Lawrence in What’s the Worst That Can Happen.
That’s not to say that this mildly diverting but instantly forgettable fare should
necessarily be inflicted on an unsuspecting public, but at least it doesn’t induce
nausea. The plot itself is entirely incidental; a broad sketch of a story that provides
little more than a backdrop for Kattan to do his shtick. The gaping holes in the
screenplay are evident within 10 minutes, and quickly become so monumental they don’t
even bear discussing. Kattan romps through the film as a slightly more sophisticated
version of Pee Wee Hermann. With his gaudy ties, constant bumbling and effeminate manner,
he’s the most unlikely romantic lead, particularly opposite the buxom Vinessa Shaw as
his love interest. Kattan certainly has his moments in the film, but he relies far too
much on physical humour and goofy looks. The result is a thin pastiche of a Jerry Lewis
movie, without the smarts. Peter Falk does his now-patented elderly mobster with his usual
style; Chris Penn and Peter Berg are convincing as the none-too-smart brothers; while Ms
Shaw tries hard, despite spending almost the entire third act dressed in a nurse’s
outfit and suspender belt. One of the few highlights is the very funny performance from
veteran Richard Roundtree, the original Shaft. Corky Romano offers occasional chuckles,
but they can’t make up for its colossal faults. Astonishingly unoriginal, unevenly
paced and often just plain dumb, this is one comedy that could easily be reclassified as a
tragedy – particularly for Kattan.
Review by Jake Wilson:
On the surface this is just another dumb Hollywood comedy, with a story as old as
folk-tale and as contemporary as the last Adam Sandler hit: the despised youngest son who
finally wins through, proves himself a real man and gets the girl. Yet somehow this time
the mixture doesn't gel. When Sandler or Rob Schneider score big with this little-guy
formula, basically they're tapping into the anxieties and resentments of straight white
men in the age of political correctness, displaying panicky childish weakness along with a
sense of entitlement. By comparison there's something, well, queer about Chris Kattan's
Corky Romano character, a bumbling blend of Dr Dolittle and Peewee Herman. Kattan may lack
Peewee's flat-out perversity, but ultimately this issue can't be avoided. With his
flamboyant ties, sunny smile and touchy-feely philosophy, Corky doesn't especially seem
like a geeky loser; he just seems gay. Clearly on one level the film knows perfectly well
what it's doing, with references to Corky as a 'jiggling little fruitcake' who 'prances
around like the Little Mermaid' (he also appears in Girl Scout drag). Yet Corky's
sexuality is never an overt issue, and finally we're meant to believe that he's straight
after all - unlike his macho brother, who's induced to come out of the closet. What is all
this doubledealing meant to prove? A guilty obsession with gayness (and anal penetration)
is a comic staple in movies of this ilk; while it seems for a moment that the issue may be
confronted directly here, the script quickly lapses into blissful incoherence. Kattan is a
reasonably talented physical comedian when it comes to jitters and pratfalls, but
ultimately there's no way of knowing who Corky is meant to be - and hence why anyone would
want to identify with the character, or find him attractive.
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CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 0
Unfavourable: 2
Mixed: 0
 TRAILER
CORKY ROMANO (PG)
(US)
CAST: Chris Kattan, Vinessa Shaw, Peter Falk, Peter Berg, Chris Penn, Fred Ward, Richard
Roundtree
PRODUCERS: Robert Simonds
DIRECTOR: Rob Pritts
SCRIPT: David Garrett, Jason Ward
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steven Bernstein
EDITOR: Alan Cody
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Peter Politanoff
RUNNING TIME: 85 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: Buena Vista International
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: February 14, 2002
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