Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show:
30 Days & 30 Nights—Hollywood to the Heartland
Directed by Ari Sandel (R)
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America’s favorite smart aleck hits the road with his comical cronies.
★★
Vince Vaughn’s Wild West Comedy Show: 30 Days & 30 Nights—Hollywood to the Heartland drags on just as long as its title does, said Christy Lemire in the Associated Press. Nearly three years ago, Vaughn decided to take a break from his movie roles, gathered a few friends, and traveled across Middle America spreading good cheer. Starting in Los Angeles and ending in his hometown of Chicago, Vaughn and his variety show set off on what promises to be one hell of a road trip. But their wild ride turns surprisingly tame. There are no women onboard, no drugs to be found, and nobody gets drunk enough to regret it the next morning. They’re all buddies, and the lack of drama makes this a boring documentary, even at just 100 minutes. “Only about 40 percent of the movie is even comedy,” said Kyle Smith in the New York Post. These little-known comics—Ahmed Ahmed, John Caparulo, Bret Ernst, and Sebastian Maniscalco—are intermittently funny. But they, like the movie, are likable enough, said Peter Travers in Rolling Stone. Director Ari Sandel gives each his own little biographical interlude, allowing us to understand how they establish their routines. Their intentions are modest, the laughs “loose-limbed,” and the film “defiantly un-Hollywood”—in other words, exactly what Vaughn wanted.
