Search - The L.A. Riot Spectacular on DVD

My review of L.A. Riot Specacular

Avi Offer | New York | 12/05/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Not since South Park and Police Academy has comic satire been so bold, relentlessly offensive and outrageously funny. From the very first scene when white cops bet on the ethnicity of the driver of a car they pursue, you know what exactly you're in for. One of the officers, Powell (Estevez), claims that betting on black is always a safe bet. His partner, offensively-named Koon (McDonald), bets on Spanish. They start beating on Rodney King (Carter) who comes out from the vehicle while Snoop Dogg emerges form the sidelines a narrator--and a rapper. Back at the police station, there's even more racism as an officer debates on what derogatory name they should call black people. Soon enough, Asians, Jews, and Spanish people also get stereotyped and insulted, especially in satirical news stories. To add insult to injury, a TV crew follows the events for an Entertainment Show and, in a hilarious scene, the deaths and injuries increase along with the Nielson Ratings. Jonathan Lipnicki, best known as the little kid from Jerry Maguire, has a cameo as the son of an anti-Semitic father. George Hamilton also briefly shows up as a wealthy man--what a stretch!-- from Beverly Hills who tries to call order to all the chaos. Admittedly, the humor does get a bit redundant toward the end with more of the same ethnic jokes. Fortunately, writer/director Marc Klasfeld keeps the movie going at a fast, energetic pace that doesn't overstay its welcome at a running time of 80 minutes. Stay tuned through the end credits for additional scenes.

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