Python Hyena Mafia (1998): Dir: Jim Abrahams / Cast: Jay Mohr, Christina Applegate, Lloyd Bridges, Olympia Dukakis, Billy Burke: Slapstick comedies are suppose to be funny yet I doubt I laughed ten times during this stupid charade. It is sad to see talent deteriorate the way it does here. Directed by Jim Abrahams who has directed superior and funnier comedies such as Top Secret and Airplane. He even joined them in creating two of the hilarious Naked Gun comedies. The only joke that really works is an inspired scene that parodies Jaws. Asides from that this film is dead in the water. Final film for Lloyd Bridges who plays a mob boss who receives several gun shot wounds in a joke that dragged on way too long. His son will take over who is set to marry the lady President who strives for peace. Jay Mohr has his moments as he becomes the next target. Christina Applegate as the female President is total cardboard in a predictable role. She will be opposed to all things Mohr stands for but ultimately they will bang each other. Bridges as his father is inspired but he was so much more funnier in Airplane. It is unfortunate that this is his final film but at least he seems to be going out laughing. It satires gangster films but there are too many unnecessary subplots. Perhaps Abrahams should reunite with the Zucker boys and recreate the hilarity they're famous for. Score: 5 ½ / 10

mark.waltz Movies have been spoofed by themselves since the early days of Hollywood. Every archetype of film has had a day as a victim of polite ridicule over the years from westerns, horror movies, disaster flicks, and even the big musical. Prior to the fast-moving gags of "Airplane!" and "The Naked Gun", there was the film version of the Broadway farce "Hellzapoppin'" where the gags flew faster than the stuffed stork with a baby over its audiences head. Mel Brooks brought back the genre years later, spoofing Gothic horror and westerns; Even Alfred Hitchcock got a good ribbing. By the time all the former serious actors got together to show they knew how to provide a silly laugh for "Airplane!", the genre was perfected, and even to this day, just the sight of Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Robert Stack and Lloyd Bridges in their earlier films can bring on hysterical laughter.Fast forward two decades. After the gut-busting "Naked Gun" and "Hot Shots!" films (some better than others) came "Loaded Weapon", "Fatal Instinct" and even "Repossessed!", the disastrous spoof of "The Exorcist". Leslie Nielsen got in the custom of playing serious looking men who were actually much less serious. Between "Spy Hard" and "Dracula: Dead and Loving It", even playing "Mr. Magoo", Nielsen became the King of Serious Actors turning to comedy. After all these films, the gags got sillier, some might even say tasteless, and in the case of "Jane Austen's Mafia!", just plain stupid.O.K., so there are some moments of laughter which prevail in this rip-off movie that takes "The Godfather" to a new level of lowness. Nielsen isn't there for this entry in the genre. Lloyd Bridges, in his last film, takes on the role of the aging Mafia don whose big scene has him doing a break dance while being pelted with bullets. The story is told through the eyes of his youngest son, the obvious Michael Corleone clone (Jay Mohr) and goes back to the youthful days of Bridges' character, Vincenzo Cortino, in Italy, where his mob future becomes set in thumbs....I mean stone.Although everybody keeps a serious face throughout, it is not easy to sit there and watch them make absolute fools of themselves, although most of them probably cried all the way to the bank. The biggest abuse goes to the phenomenal Olympia Dukakis whose flatulent matriarch (Bridges' senile mother!) barely says a word and literally gasses someone to death. Christina Applegate comes off a bit more dignified as the Diane Keaton take-off, but the remainder of the cast seems totally naive as to the Derick they are involved in which seems to be peppered with unnecessary gags and moments of insipidness that they were obviously oblivious to.As for Bridges, I give him credit for his longevity and his speaking voice alone could add value to the dullest of anything he was in. He does get one of the funniest visual gags here concerning a slice of watermelon, but it is an absolute shame that he couldn't have ended his career with something that while lacking in dignity might have at least been a whole lot funnier than this rip-off movie that couldn't even leave "Forrest Gump" alone.

Kristine The other night I was looking for a movie to watch and I came across Mafia! For the most part, I'm a decent fan of mafia films, I love Goodfellas, Casino, and The Godfather. So a parody seemed like a good idea to me. After all, these films are always serious and sometimes you need to get a good joke out of them. So Mafia seemed like a good idea to me. I watched it last night and I have to say that while there were a few laughs here and there, Mafia's humor is mostly forced and typical. I know that most parody films are usually predictable in humor, but it would have been nice if it could have had more originality. Or maybe I'm wrong, mafia movies are just not what you could parody for a story. Mafia pretty much has the typical humor of kid getting hit by every object, movies that they parody that have nothing to do with the subject they're going for, fart, and sex jokes. It's just not original; but there are a few laughs here and there I admit. The story could have worked if they just cut back on a few typical gags.Anthony is part of the mafia family, he runs a casino in Las Vegas and his father is the Don of the family. But when his father is almost murdered during a wedding dance, he goes into the family business. With the non existing help from his coke addict brother, he must try to survive this business while trying to maintain a normal life. But he just about looses it when he decides to go ahead and kill everyone.Mafia! is over all not the most horrible comedy I've ever seen, there are movies that are a thousand times worse, but I think that the crew of the film just got a little out of control with what they had. I think it could have been a good film if the jokes were not just so predictable and bland. The cast seemed to have an alright time making the movie, I don't think they were really into it, except for Lloyd Bridges who played The Godfather, he looked like he had a fun time. I don't know if I would recommend this film, if you're looking for an average parody, this the movie for you, but don't expect anything more.4/10

the_phantom_was_here Let me start out by saying that I'm the type of person who is open to all kinds of comedy, whether it's dumb or smart, that's just me. Though I'll admit, this movie was the kind of dumb comedy that my 8 year old brother would laugh hysterically at simply because of the physical humor. My parents however did not enjoy it as much. As for me, I found the movie to be funny despite what others may say. I found it be a clever dumb comedy, like watching a Leslie Nelson movie, things like that I enjoy. So, if you're the type of person who enjoys this type of movie, go ahead and enjoy it. If you're the person who would rather watch a comedy like "American Splendor" good for you. In short, this movie would only be considered funny, or even good, depending on the type of person you are.