"Lazer Team" Review

Title: Lazer Team

Directed by: Matt Hullum

Screenplay by: Matt Hullum, Chris Demarais, Josh Flanagan, and Burnie Burns

Year: 2016


Lazer Team is a film created by the famous YouTube channel Rooster Teeth. I am not a consistent follower of their content, but I have watched a great number of their videos and they provide solid entertainment. So this film sparked my curiosity and I sought it out. Are these YouTube stars up to the task of filmmaking, or should they stick to their online medium?

The U.S. military is contacted by a friendly alien species, who warns them of an attack on Earth by another alien race. The military trains their "Champion of Earth," who will be using a set of armor sent by the friendly aliens. However, the ship carrying the armor accidentally falls in the hands of four incapable men and now, they are the only hope the Earth has for survival.

We have had dozens upon dozens of movies where the fate of our world is in the hands of idiots. So does Lazer Team do anything differently? Yes, quite a lot actually, and it starts from the premise. The premise of this film is ridiculously funny. The four main characters find the set of armor needed to defend the Earth and they each put on something different and now they cannot take it off. That is pretty darn funny and makes for a lot of great laughs.

The cast is not filled with veteran actors or famous celebrities, but they do a fine job all around. Everyone seems comfortable in their role (with the exception of some of the army officials) and they play very well off each other. Their interplay is the main reason this movie works because the conversations feel real and often unscripted. You have your typical roles like the fool, the jock, and the boy scout, but they do not feel cliché because of the performances backing these characters. I have to say that a good deal of the biggest laughs come from Gavin Free.

This film's story is not deep or life changing, but then it is not meant to be. The best thing about this movie is that it does not take itself seriously. In fact, it often pokes fun at itself. It moves along at a brisk pace and there is never a dull moment. The action is really fun and the training sequences are frequently hilarious. There are even a few cameos in here that are genuinely surprising. I got a huge kick out of seeing Korey Coleman from Double Toasted Reviews pop up in this film because he is such a funny guy, and he brings his flavor of comedy to his brief appearance.

I also like how each member of Lazer Team had the piece of armor that suited them (no pun intended). Zach is a football player so he wears the gun on his throwing arm. Herman has a limp so he gets the boots. Hagan is a police officer and father so he gets the shield. And Woody is not too bright, so he gets the helmet. I really loved this concept...until the film felt like it had to explain it. At first, I found it clever that each person had the piece of armor that related to them, but I was disappointed when the movie felt the need to explain it to the audience a few minutes later.

You can tell this movie does not have the biggest budget but it still makes the best of it. The visual effects are better than decent and it all fits the tone of the film. It uses special effects only when necessary and as a result it works for the movie. I will say this, you know that the film is not dealing with a large budget, but it never really shows, if that makes sense.

With all that being said, this is by no means a masterpiece or an instant classic, and it does have its fair share of problems. As funny as the movie is, there are a good number of jokes that feel forced or are simply not funny. As I hinted at earlier, some of the actors playing the military officials seem like they are reading directly from the script because their delivery is very stale and monotone. There is one character in this film who is frankly not funny at all. Every line he says is meant to be a joke but most of them feel incredibly forced, which makes him more of an annoying character than anything else.

In the end, Lazer Team is a really fun film. The pace is consistently quick, the actors have great chemistry with one another, and there are more than a few gut-busting laughs. Even though the story is not too deep, there is a history between Hagan and Herman that is pretty well done, if a bit cheesy. The film even has a third act twist that surprised me a bit. This is what Pixels should have been. The humor might not be for everyone, as it can be pretty vulgar at times, but chances are if you are watching this film you know what you are getting yourself into. Is this the next great film that everyone should see? No, but what is wrong with having fun with a film that does not take itself too seriously every once in a while?

Grade: B