Uwe Boll isn’t synonymous with good movies. He’s synonymous with “Oh god, why did I watch that? Who financed this shit?” And for four very amusing boxing matches, “OH GOD, LOWTAX’S FACE!” So right there I at least have to like him a little, even if I hate what he does with movies.
Postal, well, it’s a lot like the game. Honestly, I can’t believe I’m saying it, but it is. It’s clear Vince Desi tried to keep some tight control over things, and it mostly worked.
Postal 2 was intended as shock material, comedy with a dark dark sense of humor for those who cannot be offended. It’s as if /b/ organized itself enough to make a video game instead of just fucking with Scientology and yelling “RULE 1 AND 2!” all day. No group is safe from mockery or bullets, but there’s never a situation where players MUST kill. They can always just unzip and pee their way out, not hurting anyone. There’s rarely an area without armed NPCs anyway, but they often won’t shoot first.
Of course, this wouldn’t be much of a movie if plot didn’t force itself to occur, and it usually does at gunpoint. The protagonist is certainly set up as a likable character in a shit situation, moreso than in Postal 2 even.
The movie rapidly jumps into the offensive, and it does reasonably alright at it. There are some laughs to be had, and the plot feels surprisingly cohesive, though it drags at points. It’s nice that Uwe at least makes fun of himself in the movie, and while a lot of the jokes are drawn out too far, they tend to hit the mark when they’re started. Dave Foley and Zack Ward are both excellent in their roles as is expected, and the supporting cast does well.
There is a tendency to be heavy handed or for jokes to be hammed up more than needed with extra sound effects, but the ideas are at least there this time and true to source. This is a far cry from past works like Alone in the Dark or In the Name of the King. The story isn’t mangled, the direction hasn’t ruined the flick, and the effects are better than a Sci-Fi Original for once, without screens from the game’s attract mode spliced in for some reason.
And it’s WAY better than Date, Epic, or Disaster Movie, and especially Meet the Spartans. Uwe, keep this up and you might not be the most hated writer/director around.
Postal gets 2 and a half canes. It’s not good, it’s not actively bad, it’s just average comedy, but for anyone who’s ever been offended by anything, this movie should not be viewed nor the box gazed upon. So once again, it’s true to the game!
