Watch Out, We're Mad! review: This chaotic remake’s fun fizzles out before reaching the finish line

2/5

Story:

Years after Ben and The Kid’s iconic rivalry, the former’s sons Carezza(Edoardo Pesce) and Sorriso(Alessandro Roja) continue the legacy of the racers in this reboot. When a young Carezza and Sorriso decide to take their father’s prized red dune buggy with a yellow top out for a joyride, the duo get swindled out of the buggy by two motorists they stopped to help. The event irreparably damage the brothers’ relationship, and the two become estranged adults. Years later, the two get a chance to win a red dune buggy of their own, and history repeats itself.

Review:

Niccolo Celaia and Antonio Usbergo undertook quite a risky task upon themselves when they decided to remake a beloved cult classic such as 1974’s Watch Out, We're Mad!. The remake took on the shape of something more closer to a sequel after the duo were done with it, and it seems as if the helmers wanted their attempt at tackling the story to serve as more of an homage to the original rather than an out-and-out remake. But sadly, their attempts fell abysmally short and viewers end up with a chaotic film that has heart, but falters in execution.

The film follows the story of two brothers, Carezza and Sorriso, the sons of Ben, one of the original owners of the classic red and yellow dune buggy featured in the 1974 film. The brothers’ relationship becomes strained after the two lose the prized vehicle, getting swindled out of it when they stop to help stranded motorists. The event, where the motorists took the buggy from the brothers after the latter loses a card game, ends up becoming the formative event that shapes the rest of their lives. Carezza, who stopped to help at the time, becomes a withdrawn auto repair mechanic who keeps to himself as much as he can. Sorriso, who accepted the terms of the swindlers’ game which led to them losing the buggy, becomes an expert at the very game he lost when he was young. The brothers also become estranged, crossing paths years later when they decide to enter a race which offers a dune buggy similar to the one they lost as its prize. When the two race for the grand prize, the path of chaos that their father went through repeats itself.

The film certainly tried to match the charming comical tone set by its predecessor all those decades ago. With its story playing homage to the original, the new movie has its fair share of amusing twists and turns as the two brothers scramble to claim their right on the coveted dune buggy. Unfortunately, the poor execution in the form of the writing, performances and characterisation usher in the downfall of the movie.

You know a buddy comedy is doomed to fail when the main two ‘buddies’ seem to have no semblance of chemistry between them. Although the attempts at trying to bring forth a kind of ‘yin and yang’ in Carezza and Sorriso’s personalities was apparent, the duo’s dynamic seem nothing short of painfully awkward and forced at times. Alessandro Roja’s charm as the endearing Sorriso, although delightful at times, fails to save the brothers’ interactions.

The rest of the characters and their characterisations also are nothing to write home about either. Shallow, bland and predictable, most of them exist for no reason than to further the plot. Comicality rules over the entirety of the film, and after a while, it gets tedious to watch, thanks to half hearted performances and uninspired writing.

Verdict:

Credit is due to Watch Out, We're Mad! For its attempts to pay homage to the 1974 cult classic. But although the film has its heart in the right place, it fails in its execution, due to its bland direction, uninspired writing and weak performances.