Movie Details
Movie: The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022)
Director: Peter Farrelly
Cast: Zac Efron, Russell Crowe, and Jake Picking
Movie Type: War/Comedy
Release date: 23 September 2022
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
Languages; English
Duration: 2h 06m
Trailer
Synopsis
His arrival in more ambitious waters in the form of Green Book ended not only with winning three Oscars, including the one for best film but especially with a well-written retro feel-good drama that managed to warm the hearts of almost all generations. And Farrelly stayed with the strong theme of the period this time too, only replacing racism with the war in Vietnam. Even if it probably won’t win many prestigious awards this time, even in his new film the director demonstrates how easily he can transform serious motives into an appreciative mix of comedy and drama for the audience.
The story of the film The Greatest Beer Run Ever then sounds unbelievable at first, but it is based on a real event and the subsequent book. So we enter the period of the 1960s when the entire United States is living through Vietnam. But while many of his friends went to fight on the front lines and his sister demonstrates against the fighting, the main character John “Chickie” Donohue is a slacker without a job who spends most of the day sleeping or hanging out with the regulars in the pub. But since, according to the pub loiterers, the most stupid news about the war is running on TV and it seems to them that the soldiers do not feel the support of the people, Chickie decides to change his attitude. So he kicks his ass, takes cans of honest American beer, and travels to Vietnam to give them to his buddies as a token of support. But the naive hero has no idea what great danger awaits him. And that not all friends will be excited about his visit.
On a slightly bizarre but still realistic plot, Farrelly then built a properly light-hearted dramedy, who knows where its limits lie about the story and can never be as strong and emotionally draining in the issues of the Vietnam War as classics such as The Deer Hunter. And luckily, no one even tries. So the film is essentially a Vietnamese road movie, in which Chickie gradually reveals the horrors of war, and the eyes of the smiling naive, who still tries to act like the biggest easy-going guy, gradually open up.
Despite the increasing portion of war scenes (though forget about some brutality, of course), the film still maintains a certain amount of humor and lightness, which the viewer will take with thanks. In addition, the director narrates this feel-good cocktail with artisanal lightness, brisk pace, likable characters, and excellent visuals, and the camera behind him. In addition, in the final third, he got out of his way even in the more action-oriented aspect, and at times the piece would even be suitable for the big screen. Farrelly can also rely on the excellent Zac Efron, who practically does not leave the scene, and even if he will probably still have certain acting limits, here he pulls off the film without any problems and he played the nice Chickie with great gusto. It’s just a shame that Russell Crowe, perfectly cast in the role of a war correspondent, didn’t get a little more space, as their scenes together are by far the best.
On the other hand, the creative tactic of not honing in on certain motifs too much results in the film skimming the surface too much, certain conflicts or relationships are short-cut, and many themes are only touched upon and not developed further. This is a shame, especially when, for example, Efron and Crow talk about the media image of war and their dialogues fall on fertile ground. At certain moments, a little push on the emotional saw wouldn’t hurt either, and the viewer sometimes feels that a little more could be squeezed out of some scenes. But the creators gave up on that, and so Farrelly’s novelty is not as expressive and scripturally accurate as the Green Book and is headed more towards one-bite waters.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever remains a very pleasant audience mix, which is properly warm, smiling, and sometimes serious. The director could have easily pressed the saw a little more in all these parameters. However, it is still one of those crafty pieces that you can easily play for your parents and grandparents and you know that they will also be impressed. So the authors will not be applauded at the Oscars this time, the key themes are significantly less exploited for that than in the case of the Green Book, but the new film still honestly fills the “war feel-good film” box.
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