Wayne's World

Today's movie holds a special significance for me. Why? Because the main character has the same name as me of course: This is Wayne's World.

Based on the popular 'Saturday Night Live' Sketch, Wayne's World was released in 1992 under the direction of Penelope Spheeris (The Little Rascals) and stars Mike Myers, Dana Carvey, Tia Carrere and Rob Lowe. The story follows 2 best friends and their hugely popular cable-television show. One of the wittiest comedies ever made, it's an instant classic, and we're gonna look at it today.

Wayne Campbell (Myers) and Garth Algar (Carvey), 2 dim-witted but friendly guys from Illinois host a weekly TV show which is very popular with the locals. Ben Kane (Lowe), a TV executive, sees the potential profit to be made from the show, and after meeting our 2 heroes, buys the rights to the show from them for $10,000, keeping them as the hosts.

Around the same time, Wayne falls for a rock singer and bassist named Cassandra (Carrere) of the band Crucial Taunt. Unfortunately, Benjamin also takes a liking to her, and after sending Wayne and Garth off to an Alice Cooper gig, attempts to get close to her, offering her a record deal.

Upon hosting their first show under Benjamin's direction, they discover that they are being forced to interview the show's sponsor, and after Wayne threatens to walk out, they find out that all Benjamin wants is the rights to the show, and couldn't care less about whether or not our protagonists are involved.

With tensions mounting between Wayne, Garth and Cassandra, our hapless heroes are forced to do all they can to retake their show and get everything back to the way it was. Along the way they encounter cameos from Meat Loaf, Alice Cooper, Fabio and Robert Patrick.

One of the few SNL sketches to make the successful transition to film, Wayne's World is a perfect example of a silly film done right. Much like Myer's Austin Powers movies, you don't take it seriously, but the film KNOWS you aren't supposed to take it seriously. None of it's outlandish elements are overdone or shoved in your face. It's a series of funny, likeable characters interacting through a series of peculiar and surreal scenarios. Our 2 heroes are impossible not to like. Their wide-eyedness, their naivety, the conversations they have and some of the quips they make are just hysterical. My personal favourite has to be 'Garth, marriage is punishment for shoplifting in some countries.' Awesome.

Nothing else to say really. Wayne's World is a great idea with a great delivery. Funny, smart, charming and undeniably lovable; what more could you possibly want?