What's at the Movies

By Ian Pugh

‘Rat Race’ a surprisingly
inspired remake

The eccentric Las Vegas casino owner Donald Sinclair (John Cleese) has put two million dollars in a locker at a train station in Silver City, New Mexico. By random, he chooses six groups of people in a rat race to get to the cash first. The competitors consist of a recently reunited mother and daughter (Whoopi Goldberg, Lanei Chapman), a vacationing family (headed by Jon Lovitz and Kathy Najimi), a businessman who never takes a chance (Breckin Meyer), who is later joined by a helicopter pilot (Amy Smart), a football referee trying to escape a botched call (Cuba Gooding, Jr.), an odd Italian man (Rowan Atkinson), and a pair of brothers who are partners in crime (Seth Green, Vince Vieluf). They’d do anything to get the loot, much to the delight of Sinclair and his wealthy associates, who are betting on who gets to Silver City first.

“Rat Race” is essentially a reworking of the 1960’s classic “It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.” Hollywood has been notorious for its terrible remakes, but with the mind behind “Airplane!,” Jerry Zucker, pulling the strings, “Rat Race” turns out to be pretty decent. While sometimes the movie contains tired physical comedy, it is not dependent. The film is peppered with clever little items that are too good to print here.

As expected with so many characters on so many different paths, the movie switches attention from one contestant to another. With seven different subplots going on at once, you’d think the movie would be mind-boggling to try to keep track of. In fact, they’re so happy and bouncy that they’re extremely easy to follow. Unfortunately, while the stories are clear, some character development is sacrificed in the midst of the constant switching. Then again, does a movie like this really need it? The big stars contained within play their characters so that they don’t know that they’re caught in such an insane state of affairs, one of the keys to comedy.

“Rat Race” recalls an era of crazed, madcap filmmaking that only a director like Zucker could bring back to the silver screen. If you see it, be certain that you’re in the mood for a lighthearted romp.