For some time, Trailer Park Boys has been a guilty pleasure of mine.  Although I did not find the show appealing when it first aired, subsequent viewings made me a fan of its unique style of humor.  Although the show appears simply crude on the surface, there is a lot more going on with the characters than superficially appears.

However, no-one would compare Trailer Park Boys with M*A*S*H or The Simpsons.  Whereas the other shows became legendary for their subtlety, heart, and humor, the Trailer Park Boys possesses little of these qualities. 

And although this works in 30-minute slices on their TV show, can a feature length movie be carried by this sort of nihilistic and profane humor?  After its viewing I can say yes, but only if you are already a fan of the show and its “acquired taste” type of humor.

Film 

If you are not familiar with the series, there are a number of main characters around whom the plot eternally revolves.  Our three main protagonists are Julian (John Paul Tremblay), Ricky (Robb Wells), and Bubbles (Mike Smith), three residents of Sunnyvale Trailer Park.  Our two main antagonists are Jim Lahey (John Dunsworth) the alcoholic trailer park supervisor, and his ever shirtless live-in assistant, Randy (Patrick Roach).

Like most episodes of the show, the movie follows a similar pattern.  Shot as a “mockumentary” of Julian, Ricky, and Bubbles, the story begins on a day when all three are being released from jail.  Bubbles (who is released early in the day) returns to the trailer park to find the trailers destroyed, and his cats and kittens missing (revealed to be at the SPCA due to Jim).  Julian and Ricky are released later in the day, and promptly steal a corrections van to use in a liquor store hold up (in a very funny scene – Ricky uses a cardboard box as a disguise).

The main plot of the movie revolves around a now-sober Jim and his new deluxe trailer park, and his efforts to get Julian to sell out his old trailer so Jim can build a sewer line for the new park.   Meanwhile, Julian’s is attempting to “go straight” with “Success Autobody”, a business he has set up in his trailer, while Ricky is evaluating his relationship with Julian, and if this is a cause of all his life’s troubles.  Overriding all, both Julian and Ricky want to raise money to help their friend Bubbles rescue his cats from the SPCA.

Of course, Jim starts drinking again, creating huge complications for our protagonists and driving Randy away.  Julian, his business struggling, comes up with the perfect plot for financial freedom.  Ricky sets out to get his Grade 12 equivalency.  And Bubbles meets another kind soul who loves kitties and pot as much as he does.

To describe the goings-on would be to give away too many spoilers.  Suffice it for me to say that the movie is 100% consistent with the television show, though (unbelievably) the humor actually takes a step down at points.  Watch the car chase scene – you’ll know what I mean.  However, the additional run time allows us to get a bit more into the hearts of each character, something that makes them all a little more likeable, and allows us as viewers to empathize more.

If you like Trailer Park Boys, you will like this movie, guaranteed.  All of the elements, including Julian’s Rum and Coke, Randy’s gut, Ricky’s shirts and pants, and Jim running around drunk in tighty-whities and a bathrobe are there.  If you don’t like Trailer Park Boys or were unimpressed by the TV show, I’m not sure there’s much here that you would find appealing.

Video

The production values of the show have always been somewhat…frugal.  I mean, the show is set in a trailer park, right? From the outdated Chevy Astro vans, to the low-rent sets, this was not a premium production.  Mind you, at least there are some scenes that take place outside the trailer park.  Even though this is a feature length movie, there appeared to still be the same level of budgetary restraint that we saw in the TV show. 

This carried over to the video of the movie.  It appears to have been shot entirely on video, with bright scenes being extra sharp with no hint of grain.  Shadows in bright scenes showed hints of video noise and lack of detail, while dark scenes had excessive digital noise, and sparkling in black areas.  Camera work itself was also pedestrian, and although true to the “mockumentary” concept, it was well below what I expect in a movie. 

Overall, the video in Trailer Park Boys was better than most direct-to-video productions, and better than some transfers I’ve seen lately.  However, the inherent limitations of this low-cost video production were certainly visible, and the picture lacked the color, depth, and grain we would see in a film-based movie.       

Audio

Presented in DTS-HD MA, the audio of the movie was at a par with what is normally heard in the Dolby Digital 5.1 feed when watching the HD broadcasts of the shows.  This is unsurprising; this move appears to have production values that are consistent with the TV show.

Dynamic levels were not well balanced, with the dialog being very uneven through the centre channel.  Loud noises were very “spiky” – for example, when J-Roc shows up at Julian’s business, the rap percussion from his red and wood-paneled Cutlass wagon (yes, I know how that reads) quickly had me reaching for my remote.  

The surround channels were used sparingly during the movie, and became noticeable when information was fed to them.  This was actually distracting, but was consistent with the overall production values for the movie.

Overall, not a great audio presentation.

Special Features

The list of special features fits the general value-level of the overall package – this is a one-disc set in a fairly limited budget production.  What were included were an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and three featurettes, plus a commentary provided by fans from the show’s fan site.

Even though the bonus material is in 480p, some of its content will be of high quality to fans.  Notable features are the many deleted scenes, and the featurette “Sunnyvale Stories”, where it shows the making of the movie (by the actors who stay in character – remember, this is a mockumentary).

Although this is not the greatest set of special features, it somehow feels “right” for this particular package.  Thematically, it neatly ties the disc together. 

Final Thoughts

If you have watched Trailer Park Boys and have not enjoyed it, then this is not the movie for you.  If you find drugs, alcohol, or profanity offensive, I’d also give this one a pass.  However, if you have a taste for subversively crude comedy and bumbling yet good-hearted criminals, this may be worth a rent. 

However, the market for this movie will remain the dedicated legion of fans who tune into Trailer Park Boys at every opportunity.  For them, this movie is a buy, even just to watch Ricky tell Randy his magic-markered head looks “tough”, or to watch Randy toddle around in a wig, heels and a terry cloth sun dress (yes, I know how that reads).