The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

For many people the very idea of a sequel to Hamlet is preposterous. But if Shakespeare fans want to see a good tragedy, they should check out the last act of Hamlet 2. A truly funny slapstick film for the first hour, the tragedy of Hamlet 2 is that it turns away from its comedic prowess in favor of an ending with an inspirational message--the same dramatic device that the film is parodying.

Dana Marschz (Steve Coogan) goes by the motto, "acting is life." Unfortunately, his acting and his life are pitiful. A failed Hollywood actor, Marschz has settled down with his wife Brie (Catherine Keener) in Tuscon, Arizona, where he teaches drama at a high school for next to nothing. His desires to save the school's pathetic drama program, and his career, rest in the hands of reluctant students whose participation is due to cancellation of other school activities.

Like the inspirational movies that Marschz has been attempting to bring to the school's stage, he tries to make lemonade out of lemons. He decides to write an original play for his students to perform in hopes of raising the six thousand dollars necessary to save the program. When word gets out that the play is a sequel to Hamlet with questionable content relating to sexuality and religion, the school principal shuts down the production. In spite of his obvious ineptitude, Marschz's dedication has inspired his students to go to great lengths to put on the play amidst public outcry.

The driving force behind Hamlet 2 is Coogan's masterful performance as Marschz. He lampoons the "keep your head held high" mindset of the drama teacher perfectly. His commitment to the character is akin to Will Ferrell's as Ron Burgundy in Anchorman. The one-liners and sight gags that he brings to the screen spawned numerous laugh-out-loud moments.

While Hamlet 2 does a great job of parodying the schmaltzy inspirational teacher story line found in movies like Mr. Holland's Opus and Dangerous Minds, the film abandons its irreverent satire in favor of an inspirational ending. Marschz's downfall and inspired resurrection is a drastic departure from the rest of the film's tongue-in-cheek humor.

The parody worked extremely well for the first two-thirds of the film, but left no room for the character development necessary for an audience to care if the students are inspired by their teacher. By the time Marschz hits bottom and the students rally around their teacher, all the audience cares about is the punch line...and they are left hanging.

A bizarre, over-the-top ending, ala Ron Burgundy giving up his chance at a comeback to leap into the grizzly bear pit at the San Diego Zoo and save Veronica Corningstone, would have better suited the movie's satirical strength.

In Marschz's pivotal moment of clarity he realizes that he has truly inspired his students and declares that his life is a "parody of a tragedy." The tragedy of Hamlet 2 is that the film didn't stick to the parody.