Trailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It

New plans.

New destinations.

New living arrangements.

Classic Trailer Park Boys.

Going back to the show's roots, writers Mike Clattenburg and Mike O'Neill craft an hilarious instalment, with some of the series's best lines, and enough fresh material to keep things going for the foreseeable future.

Some of the absurdities that drive the narrative, notably how often the boys end up in jail, are playfully referred to, which adds a touch of the gritty galvanized real, a fablelike finesse, and a modest cheeky awareness.

At the same time, said absurdities pleasantly abound, the drive from Moncton to Montréal passing-by rather quickly, Bubbles (Mike Smith) having spent 2 years living under J-Roc's (Jonathan Torrens) porch, Julian's (John Paul Tremblay) latest money making scheme soaked and surgical, Lahey's (John Dunsworth) rampage, beyond anything seen before.

Touching moments subtly romanticize the film, Ricky (Robb Wells) breaking down as Bubbles considers moving to Kingston, the tear Randy (Patrick Roach) sheds for Lahey augmenting their torn troubled trust.

Bubbles's struggles hold the film together.

He's usually the level-headed moral knot tying things together, but he's fallen on tough times, and his friends don't know what to do, because he's the one who normally solves these kinds of problems.

Great plot device.

Dean Soltys's editing reminded me why I fell in love with the show over a decade ago, perfectly timed cocky commentaries acting like sharp snarky visceral strikes.

I wasn't sure if they'd be able to pull-off a road trip far to the West, but they do, and they do it so well.

Outrageous.  

Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day

Am not the biggest fan of Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day. Mike Clattenburg's characteristic trashy charm is certainly present but the film itself simply isn't that funny. Don't get me wrong, it's great seeing Ricky (Rob Wells) gain the confidence to finally start bossing around Julian (John Paul Tremblay) and what fan of the series could avoid feeling stricken as Bubbles (Mike Smith) falls in love? But too many of the jokes are recycled, seeing Ricky try and graduate high school simply isn't as funny as when he went after his grade 10 (probably the funniest plot twist of the series), and J-Roc (Jonathon Torrens) and Tyrone (Tyrone Parsons) don't make solid substitutes for the hapless Cory (Cory Bowles) and Trevor (Michael Jackson). Additionally, too much of the focus is on Randy (Patrick Roach) and Lahey (John Dunsworth) and Lahey's insane ramblings simply went to far (although I did appreciate their ridiculous depths). Countdown to Liquor Day is definitely on a grander scale: Lahey's opened a new trailer park and everyone has the option to settle down and fly right if they can only read the writing on the wall and stop fucking around. But they can't, which is good, and they won't, which is also good, but there's got to be another way to hilariously keep doing the same thing over and over again if The Trailer Park Boys are to survive as a credible film franchise.