tiskec
This movie is an instant classic. The laughter never stops. The funniest thing about this film is that it isn't that far from the truth of what actually happens behind prison walls. The comedic relief is actually the facts of the matter. The humor in this movie is actually pretty dry, but creative. I found myself laughing more often than not. I like how everyone is against the lawyer, even the people at his own foundation (The Beederman Foundation). It basically says "all lawyers are crooks" ha-ha. At least that's what I got out of it. I also like how the movie took actual prison type scenarios and turned them into comedic drama. That's the best part about it. This movie is a hoot. You'll laugh most of the way through. It will be enjoyed by most people familiar, or unfamiliar, with our justice system.Over all, this movie will keep you laughing, and wondering what will happen next. It's a hell of a laugh fest, with good acting and fun characters. Prepare for a good time.
TheFunkyBass
This film had an awful intro song, which is the wort first impression a movie can have.The plot line is one of the dummest and unconvincing story lines I've seen.Despite that, it had some funny moments.The production value was very low, the punching sound effects were unrealistic.The only good thing of the movie was the plot twist in the end, I didn't expect one at all.The movie really didn't go anywhere from there. It seemed as if the whole movie was made as long as possible just for the plot twist. And the reveal isn't very exiting either.Overall, it's meh.5/10
Steve Pulaski
Bob Odenkirk has erected a career off of making absurd, quirky comedies with humor that appeals to a small niche of consumers. A year after Let's Go to Prison he went on to make The Brothers Solomon with Saturday Night Live actors and comedians Will Arnett and Will Forte, which was nothing but an abysmal array of exaggerated and startlingly unfunny situational comedy involving the awkwardness and ineptitude of its leads characters. Let's Go to Prison, however, is a bit better than the film that would inevitably follow for Bob Odenkirk's career, and yet it still finds ways to fall into the comedy category of being not that funny and not that interested as a whole.The film stars the underrated and underutilized Dax Shepard as John Lyshitski (yep, our first gag in the film is a funny name), a man who has spent much of his young life in prison, locked up by the harsh Judge Nelson Biederman III. Looking to exact revenge after his third sentence is up, John discovers Biederman is dead. John's next target is the judge's son, Nelson Biederman IV (Will Arnett), and decides to empty the man's inhaler, leaving Nelson with a panic-attack and dangerously hyperventilating. This causes Nelson to stop at a pharmacy, forcefully knocking over everything in order to find his medicine. The shopowners mistake him as a drug-addict and accuse him of destruction of property and armed robbery, sending him behind bars after a biased and unfair trial.Bear with me. John then gets back in prison by intentionally selling marijuana to undercover police officers to assure he can make Nelson's life a living hell in jail. In a way, Nelson deserves some abuse for his narcissistic attitude that he believes makes him entitled to anything and everything, however, it's also upsetting to see him locked up for something his father did, rendering John as an unlikable soul just as much as Nelson. In short, nobody in Let's Go to Prison is likable, as they all commit contemptible actions and operate with a disgusting sense of cockiness.This is a shame because we've seen both Shepard and Arnett as funny and likable characters before. Shepard made something of a name for himself in the now decade-old comedy Without a Paddle along with his quiet, low-key performance in The Freebie. Arnett also found ways to be engaging and funny in Blades of Glory by the use of exaggerations in tone and conduct. Here - with each man stripped of their likable qualities - the two have a hard time generating a laugh that isn't mean-spirited, overly-crass, or simply not funny.Other supporting characters such as Chi McBride, David Koechner, and even the growling and frequently-captivating Michael Shannon fail to do much with the script penned by a trio of screenwriters (Ben Garant, Reno 911!'s Thomas Lennon, and Michael Patrick Jann, respectively). Even by the time we get to the parts with these actors, the film has effectively spent enough time either circling back and forth between mildly interesting and underwhelming in terms of humor or simply wading in the water, throwing in a joke or two hoping in vein we will laugh.I'm a firm believer that a good film, regardless of what genre, can stem from virtually any story, just as long as certain elements are taken into context that cater to that particular genre. Let's Go to Prison could've worked at their been an emphasis on character, dialog, maybe some raunchy humor here and there, and an added touch of heart and wit, which comedies around its release in 2006 started getting (the rise in Judd Apatow-branded productions). Instead, Let's Go to Prison seems to articulate the point where the bulk of mainstream American comedy went from being the equivalent of fast-food (quick, cheap, somewhat fulfilling but quite often unsatisfying) to being like a full-meal. If asked, I would've chosen fries, a larger drink, and extra sauce with Let's Go to Prison.Starring: Dax Shepard, Will Arnett, Chi McBride, David Koechner, and Michael Shannon. Directed by: Bob Odenkirk.
