Posts Tagged ‘April Wine’

T.P.B. DON’T LEGALIZE IT: 2 STARS. “well worn as an April Wine 8-track.”

If Trailer Park Boy and drug dealer Ricky (Robb Wells) ever ran for federal office it’s unlikely Stephen Harper would bother with an attack ad. Ricky and the PM probably don’t agree on much, but they are simpatico on one thing—neither want marijuana legalized.

Their reasons, however, differ.

Harper’s “Reefer Madness” stance is about perceived social responsibility while Ricky’s “Just Say No to Decriminalization” came about because he nlew all his money on a grow op and he wants a return on his investment.

His plan is to crash a hearing in Ottawa and make his case for keeping marihuana illegal, but first he has to get there.

“Don’t Legalize It” picks up where the Trailer Park Boys TV show left off in 2008. The trio are out of jail, broke and looking to score. Ricky has his grow op, Julian (John Paul Tremblay) is selling uncontaminated bodily fluids to help people beat drug tests and Bubbles (Mike Smith) ekes out a living selling booze, cigarettes and fried chicken door to door.

When Bubbles inherits a house in Kingston, Ontario Ricky and Julian put aside their differences and go on a road trip with stops in Montreal—so Julian can move his wares—Ottawa and Bubble’s ancestral home. Throwing a fly in the bong water are Trailer Park Supervisor Lahey (John Dunsworth) and his lover Randy (Patrick Roach) who try and frame the boys for a crime they didn’t commit.

The Trailer Park Boys are Canadian icons of a sort, but “Don’t Legalize It” makes a case for the less is more. As beloved as they are, for my money the humor works best in small doses. In other words, why drink the whole case of beer and feel crappy, when one or two brews can give you a nice pleasant buzz?

As played by Smith, Bubbles, the kitten loving man child with coke bottle glasses, is the most consistently funny. He’s a fully rounded character, a simple man who has found family with Ricky and Julian. There’s a sweetness to him that cannot be denied, even though he’s an admitted alcoholic who has been to jail more times than he can count.

Ricky and Julian are equally defined, but aren’t given anything interesting to do. They swear and drink, then swear and drink some more before getting into trouble.

Fans of the show my enjoy seeing everyone back together on the big screen, but the  Trailer Park Boys concept is getting as well worn as one of Ricky’s April Wine 8-track tapes.