PyroSikTh Mascots is a mockumentary in the vein of This is Spinal Tap, but this time it's sporting mascots; those who dress up in costumes to keep the crowd entertained in lulls on the field, be it football, hockey, cricket, whatever. The film follows a number of different mascot acts, from a husband and wife double act having marriage troubles to a feminist dancer who takes it a little too seriously, to a third generation British mascot to a vulgar "bad boy" mascot for Canadian hockey, and a number of others. We follow them as they all come together for a Mascotting competition, where they show off their acts and compete for the Gold Fluffy.Mascots is a little light on laughs, even though it does try it's best to be a laugh-a- minute kind of comedy. Empirically I don't think I really laughed out loud at all, maybe once. Usually it was just a little chuckle. So on a ROFL to Heh rating, it's definitely on the lower end. Most of its humour is more satirical in nature, poking fun at the event and those who take part, but honestly it's most enjoyable moments are when it ditches the satire and embraces full entertainment. By the third act I didn't care about the characters underneath the costumes and just wanted more of the performances themselves. The combination of dance and slapstick fused together to create the film's most interesting moments, like the British guy's hedgehog trying to set up a cup of tea and getting distracted by footballs, or a plumber having a dance-off with a s**t that bursts out of a toilet. Even the super- serious art/dance performance of the feminist armadillo was far more entertaining than much of the movie, despite it depicting the audience as thoroughly bored.I definitely found a nationalistic divide in the characters too. The British guy with his wife and father were probably my favourite characters, garnering the biggest laughs. Likewise the Canadian hockey mascot was also hugely entertaining. Maybe I found them more entertaining because I'm British, or maybe it's because Christopher Guest has a better grasp on British humour than American, or maybe it's because the American actors and actresses couldn't quite hit the same satirical notes that the British and Irish actors could? I honestly don't know, but the divide in quality was certainly noticeable. Other highlights include the conversation between an old-timer and a dwarf, and a conversation about Furries.There are worse ways to while away the time than by watching Mascots. Even though this is the longest I've gone between watching and reviewing, Mascots was easily forgettable after a couple of hours, but I can't really say it was bad. If you want a laugh-out-loud comedy, look somewhere else, if you want a mockumentary Mascots hits the spot as well as any other, but won't be remembered or marked as one of the greats. At best I find myself completely apathetic to it. I give it an okay 5/10.

Movie_Muse_Reviews It seemed reasonable that after a decade away from feature filmmaking, Christopher Guest would return in a big way. His quirky and lovable comedies with equally quirky and lovable characters in "This Is Spinal Tap," "Waiting for Guffman," and "Best in Show" launched the mockumentary sub-genre, giving life to other successful films and TV shows. That seemed to provide proof enough that 2006's "For Your Consideration" was a misstep rather than a loss of mojo, but the equally flat "Mascots" suggests being quirky and lovable isn't so simple after all.All of Guest's films have stayed to a certain formula, a parody of average people who have big dreams, debatable talent and an inflated sense of self-importance. This documentary style of mixing testimonial with drama created space for talented improvisational actors to create hysterical caricatures, but their passions and dreams made them easy for audiences to relate to, no matter how silly. "Mascots" fits that mold. Mascot-ing is certainly an obscure "art form" that has the competition/performance elements that its predecessors had. A number of Guest's regulars appear in parts big and small (Parker Posey, Fred Willard, Bob Balaban, Jennifer Coolidge, John Michael Higgins and more) to offer dependability while fresh faces in contemporary comedy join in (Chris O'Dowd, Zach Woods, Sarah Baker, Tom Bennett and more) to add a little novelty. Yet "Mascots" just isn't interesting or funny enough.One obvious culprit is the cast size. There are a lot of mascots to focus on: Mike and Mindy Murray (Woods and Baker) the bickering mascot couple; Owen Golly (Bennett), the third generation mascot; Cindi Babineaux (Posey) the serious dance artist; Phil Mayhew (Christopher Moynihan) the overly passionate mascot who's kinda sad; and Tommy Zucarello (O'Dowd) the mascot who couldn't care less. They all fight for screen time, and that doesn't include the various event organizers, judges and coaches that eat away at their share.More of the problem could be that none of them have particularly compelling sub-plots or back stories that make their characters funny or interesting. They're all fairly archetypal. Each actor uncovers bits of genuinely funny comedy, but that humor comes in the smallest parcels in the smallest moments and doesn't impact the overall comedic impression of the larger scenes it's in, let alone the overall movie.We also don't get a full sense of what's at stake. Winning first place at the mascot competition only matters if there's investment in all the competitors and Guest sets some of them up to win our affections and some of them up to fail, making it not all that conflicting or suspenseful when it comes time for the competition. None of that would matter, of course, if more of "Mascots" was laugh-out-loud funny. The quirkiness works for chuckles, but the big moments when we expect comedic payoff are fairly predictable and unremarkable. At one point you realize "Mascots" really only came into existence for fans of Guest's mockumentaries, and that's when Guest reprises a role from one of his earlier films. It's the ultimate sign of pandering and perhaps an indicator that "Mascots" never had enough legs to stand on its own in the first place.You have to believe with all your heart that the right script could exist to rejuvenate this formula, but it's clear Guest didn't have the ambition, at least not yet. Considering it's been 10 years and he's not getting any younger, you have to wonder if we've seen the best he has to offer. I hope not, but four good movies from the same core concept ain't bad.~Steven CThanks for reading! Visit Movie Muse Reviews for more.

funcrunch I never thought I'd be writing a negative review of a Christopher Guest mockumentary. "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and - especially - "A Mighty Wind" are some of my favorite films; I could watch them again and again. "For Your Consideration" was not great, but I figured that if I didn't have such high expectations from Guest's previous films, I might have enjoyed it more."Mascots", however, simply fell flat. I strained to find laugh lines; the humor was coarse or awkward when it existed at all. I understand that the lines in these films are improvised, but surely they do multiple takes of each scene to see what comes out best. If what is in this film represents the best improvisation this cast has to offer, I shudder to think what was left on the cutting room floor.Though the newcomers had some funny moments, the veteran cast members were generally better. Fred Willard never fails to please; though he is now showing his age, he's still great at portraying the dimmest person in the room. Bringing back Corky St. Clair from "Guffman" was great for the trailer to pull in fans, but ultimately didn't amount to much. There just didn't seem to be the feeling of a solid ensemble cast like there was in previous films.I think another problem was the subject matter. While all the other films chronicled events that actually take place in real life - a small town musical production, a dog show, a folk music tribute, the Academy Awards - this unconvincing "World Mascot Association championship" was just an excuse for silly sight gags and furry jokes. And unlike Guffman and Mighty Wind, I'm pretty sure none of the lead actors did their own performances. (If I'm wrong on that, it still doesn't affect my rating.)I must admit, though, that I loved the hedgehog act. That alone gets two stars out of me. And the pencil sharpener would make a great Halloween costume.

Steve Anderson I have laughed outloud at Christopher Guest since his brief stint on Saturday Night Live, through "This Is Spinal Tap", "Waiting for Guffman", "Best in Show", and "A Mighty Wind", I anticipated the release of this movie for months believing that the premise was a winner. Sadly, it was not to be. I only laughed a couple of times feeling like many of the gags were too mechanical and manipulative. Some of the characters had a few good lines but overall I was looking at the clock on the DVD player through much of the movie. Fred Willard, who generally steals every scene he is in really fell flat with his lack-luster performance. He appeared tired, bored, and out of touch--so at least he and I had those three things in common.Sadly I cannot recommend this one. Painful to write, but avoid this one at all costs.