There is a pleasing awkwardness throughout this movie, combined with a 'Fargo' like setting. It comes to us from the director of 'Napoleon Dynamite', but if I hadn't already known that prior to viewing, I'd have guessed it, as it has an identical personality.
As with 'Napoleon Dynamite', there was an abundance of hammed acting in this film, particularly in the case of the movie making guy with the permanent gurn and the sci fi writer (who is played by one of the 'Flight of the Concords' duo - pretty great, right?) However, every character is guilty of hammy acting to some extent.
I did enjoy the ham, and the continual quirkyness was enjoyable, though often (and I found the same problem with 'Napoleon Dynamite') it feels like it's being quirky for the sake of being quirky.
It was a lot of fun though, and there were lots of nice shots that were paired nicely with a bright colour scheme that clashed with the bleakness of the outdoors. The brightness of the interior scenes is the brightness of Benjamin and his mum's imaginations and dreams, while the bare 'Fargo'-like outside world is reality. There were also a series of very entertaining goofy sci-fi clips that were oddly over sexual and deer-involved.
I was alone when I watched it (big surprise) but I laughed out loud when the snake shat.
Gentlemen Broncos: 49.8