Reboot Camp

Considering the cast and the premise, there's a lingering feeling throughout that this comedy should be funnier than it actually is. Reboot Camp is a "mockumentary" with an ensemble cast in the tradition of, among others, Best In Show and A Mighty Wind, that takes a look at cults, particularly those centered around self help gurus who make millions off of their followers. The cast is a veritable potpourri of A, B, and Z-list celebrities from movies, music, and reality television, and we see them as they take in (or are skeptical of) the quasi-mystical platitudes of "Gordon St. Pierre," or scream a steady torrent of profanities during "anger therapy," or become "reborn" by going down a pool slide decorated to look like a vagina. While timely and relevant (if cynical), none of the jokes ever seem to land, so watching this is the experience of waiting to and wanting to laugh, but not getting that satisfaction.

The story itself is solid, the message behind the satire is worthy, and there's enough talent (if inconsistent) in the ensemble cast to be something great. So why isn't it? The scenes themselves gravitate to a lazy humor revolving around obvious jokes and profanity. Perhaps some of the performers were given too much room to improvise when they don't have the improv chops of, say, Christopher Guest and Michael McKean. Some of the broader points about cults and the lengths people will go to believe in them get beaten into the ground. It simply doesn't work, as much as you want it to. The result is a disappointing comedy that doesn't do nearly enough on the subjects it's supposed to be skewering.