It’s been a while since they’ve tried to take a sketch from Saturday Night Live and turn it into a movie – probably because most of them have been absolutely awful, with only the ocassional gem – but now things are moving forward on a film featuring Will Forte’s MacGruber, the insane McGyver parody who’s always getting trapped in a room with the guest host while a bomb counts down. He then has to try and fail to save the day with whatever is lying around, generally being stymied by his massive ego and general uselessness.
These sort of formulaic sketches have a bit of a chequered history when they hit the big screen, but the makers of MacGruber are hoping to buck the trend by turning the movies into a bit of an 80s action parody, rather than just sticking to taking the piss out of MacGyver. It will see MacGruber as a now retired super-solidier who’s living as a monk, who gets called back into action for one last mission where he has to take down an evil arms dealer called Cunth.
Jorma Taccone, who co-write the original sketches with Forte, will direct, while also coming along for the ride are Ryan Phillippe, Kristen Wiig and Val Kilmer, who are in talks to join the cast.
Although the sketches are good, it’s difficult to see it working as a movie without seeming about 20 years too late and treading on ground where Hot Shots has been before.