Review: Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

PLOT:
Tim and Eric are actors who were given a billion dollars to make a movie. The film they shot is around three minutes and it features a man they thought was Johnny Depp… they were wrong. Needless to say, the producers (or a better term would be criminals) want their money back or they are going to kill the two thespians. Desperate for money, Tim and Eric answer an ad looking for somebody to run a debilitated mall. They take the gig, with hopes to earn the money to pay the gangsters their billion dollars back.

REVIEW:
The big screen adventures of Adult Swim’s cult hit “Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!” is a mixed bag of entertainment. It is filled with everything from taking a bath in children’s diarrhea to bloody decapitations… all in the name of comedy. Yet as hard as it tries, TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE takes some time to really rev up its engines. Much like what you see in the under-fifteen-minute television incarnation, there are gross out gags, bizarre scenarios and a gaggle of raunchy humor. Yet putting that into an hour and a half feature film is not nearly as fun as it should be.

The story of Tim and Eric (Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim) begins when they are given a billion dollars to make a movie by some Mafioso types. The problem is that their feature consists of faux Johnny Depp (Ronnie Rodriguez) walking around saying hello to people in a suit made of diamonds. Once the “producers” see the finished film they demand their money back. This sends Tim and Eric finding an opportunity to make a billion dollars managing a rundown shopping mall… a fixer upper you might say. That alone sounds like a damn funny idea! Once there, the two deal with a variety of wacky store owners and such including the always sickly Taquito (John C. Reilly) and a psychotic sword shop owner played by Will Forte.

The first half of Tim and Eric’s feature film is a sometimes slow and painful process to sit through. Every once in a while there is a spark of humor, even if it carries itself along at a odd and less than compelling pace. When the boys arrive at the mall, they meet the current owner played by Will Ferrell. His obsession with the movie TOP GUN and strange managing style make for some much needed guffaws. There was some nice chemistry between the three of them. Yet it takes awhile for the movie to really set itself in motion. Once it does however, you can see the reason why the Adult Swim series is popular. There is an irreverent style the two comic actors have and it works occasionally here, even if the just under an hour and a half running time feels like overkill.

As far as gross out gags, the boys sure know how to push the boundaries of good taste. When Tim takes a liking to one of the shop owner’s children, he decides that he will keep the boy as his own son – not as sick as it sounds but it is certainly creepy. There is an oddball sex scene between Twink Caplan as Katie and Tim that includes rabbit ears, dildos and anal intercourse with Tim getting the shaft if you know what I mean. As previously mentioned, there is the whole bathing in diarrhea scene that also features Ray Wise – he portrays some sort of bizarre Dr. selling something called “Shrim.” When TIM AND ERIC gets down and dirty it offers some much needed nasty fun.

TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE has its moments, but ultimately it feels like a skit stretched out much too long. The comedy inclined star-studded cast is entertaining to watch, as well a few familiar character actors like William Atherton and Robert Loggia. It even has Zach Galifianakis showing up as spiritual leader Jim Joe Kelly. If you are a serious fan of the show, you will probably find enough in this for mild enjoyment. Tim and Eric may go the extra mile when it comes to gross out humor, but too much of the script feels tired and stale. This may be the type of movie you will find more entertaining in the comfort of your own home on your own couch. Just watch out for the Schlaaang home movie theatre seat and that awful popcorn butter… OUCH!