Just Some Dirtbag

Just Some Dirtbag
Directed by Ned Carlson

This is the third installment in the CNCW universe I've had the pleasure of watching, after Deck the Hacks 2 and Sanity Clause, and the unique charm of these movies shows no sign of wearing thin or making any false steps. Ned's directorial skill continues to grow at an astonishing rate, aided in no small amount by his willingness to use whatever tools he comes in contact with. If still a little smirk-worthy in places (it's hard to seriously fault a film for retaining more innocence than most in this cynical community can really stomach), Just Some Dirtbag exudes the same joy and good-natured fun as its cinematic bretheren. It's not as cheerful as Sanity Clause, and features what seemed to me like an attempt by Ned to take his universe into darker territory; whether this attempt was a genuine, deliberate step in that direction or just a consequence of the nature of the story, it falters noticably, but also adds an element of depth that I haven't seen in one of Ned's films before.

As his popularity has finally begun to grow, Ned decided to take this outing back to a sort of origin story he never really told. The two previous films in the series focused on two specific groups of characters: Dirtbag, Gramps, Ronji, and a few others (Deck the Hacks 2), and Frankie and Gus (Sanity Clause). Of the two, I was more engaged by Frankie and Gus. The story in Sanity Clause was more interesting and better written than the one in Deck the Hacks 2, so that's part of it, but I also just liked their dynamic more. Dirtbag is kind of a shrill character, not as likable as Frankie's well-intentioned upper-class buffoon, but he appealed to me here more than in his previous outing, because with his (relatively) extra seediness comes a much-needed mischief to the sugary CNCW world. As this is his origin story, before he starts trying to better himself, he's at his best. It's probably about as snarky as Ned's characters ever get.

But the really interesting thing about Just Some Dirtbag is that Dirtbag isn't really the protagonist. That would be Hoffstead, one of the police officers from the later movies in the series. As this prequel story opens, his long-time captain and partner McCoy is heading off for another precinct, following Hoffstead's promotion. Hoffstead is getting a new partner, one cadet Bongo. Hoffstead is hesitant about his new job and loss of his old partner, but even moreso about his new one, and their early adventures (presented in that oh-so-dependable comedic montage device) are all at once clever, amusing, and believable from a characterization standpoint. Bongo's actor design practically precludes any serious character traits or non-comedic potential, but Carlson seems to do the impossible by having him start out as the typical buffoon and, by the end of the movie, actually making him sympathetic and relatable. The character dynamic between the two starts off rocky and campy, but they develop surprisingly well and when the payoff comes, we're sold on a genuine portrayal, rather than a pat resolution padded with slapstick.

Dirtbag, as it happens, plays the role of the anti-hero. As I mentioned, his characterization in this film is about as mischievous as Carlson gets, and even his outlaw nature comes in a lighthearted, innocent package with a sly wink (I liked the wanted poster that details his crimes; "Sidewalk expectrication" and "whoopie-cushioning" head off the list). He's a troublemaker, to be sure -- his first chronological appearance in the CNCW universe has him popping the tires of an inbound taxi transporting Bongo to East Seattle -- but he appears here as a character without a real motivation, directionless, snarky, and playing only a peripheral role in the overall plot arc.

The purpose of Just Some Dirtbag, ultimately, is to plant a seed of direction in his characterization arc over the course of the series. This leads to an arrest, break-out, and stranded-outside-civilization-with-a-mutual-enemy plot, which culminates in the dubious darker themes I mentioned earlier. I'm certainly not against giving the CNCW universe a little facial hair, and Ned's crack at it in this film is definitely one of the more interesting ways to go about it. What seemed like a light-hearted little adventure story ended up going in a much shadier direction. But while the cabin sequences held my attention and added a heretofore unseen element of real tension and violence to the series, it came off as a little unbalanced. Direct spoilers follow: Dirtbag being told to shoot Hoffstead and Hoffstead telling him to do it didn't quite ring true, for one thing. Neither did the third and fourth deaths of the escaped inmates; the killings were a little pointless, as they didn't have weapons and obviously didn't pose a real threat to the police (and the last one was a kid!). The dark aspects of the third act and conclusion pretty clearly catch Carlson in unfamiliar screenwriting territory, and his relative inexperience with more sinister material shows some rough edges. But while the execution of these elements has problems, they could have blended easily with the overall nature of the film with just a little tweaking. While the attempt was haphazard, Ned has proven that CNCW has room for bleaker elements, which bodes really well for the series.

As always, the wide range of supporting characters makes for a rich and colorful experience, but this installment is a notch above the rest. Characters to be introduced in (chronologically) later episodes get some amusing cameos here. Frankie and Gus make some inspired appearances, and Chef Kool isn't just there to have him in, but actually serves a plot function. Ned isn't superfluous with his supporting characters, but doesn't relegate them to expository duty either. They fit perfectly and behave exactly as they would in this universe, which makes the film flow tighter than previous installments. And the insane escapee was a stroke of genuis. He's used to precisely the right effect and not overexploited by even the slightest degree. His final line couldn't have been more appropriate or better timed. Great instinct here.

Like Sanity Clause did last Christmas, Just Some Dirtbag proves once and for all the potential for directors to excel at v3dmm in the same way they once did within the creative limitations of 3dmm, before expansions were possible. There's a theory that the best examples of ingenuity are brought out by creative boundaries. It was one of the key arguments against expansion packs, back when there were still people who pretended to have a stake in the future of 3dmm long after they'd effectively quit. * rimshot. * But what Ned has done in the recent CNCW films is to take that idea to its logical extreme by factoring in v3dmm expansions. He finds ways to work in non-film-specific actors and props -- the kind of stuff Andres used to make -- and molds the film around them in such a way that they aren't a cheap solution and don't feel out of place. He gets a lot of mileage out of the two Superdings fonts and the landscape font, even using models that I screwed up in the beta release of Superdings 2 to good effect. He inserts 3DMM elements into photo backgrounds in a way that perfectly integrates them in the rest of his film. There's an extremely wide range of styles here, but the overall effect is anything but a mishmash, and it's clear that just a little forethought and experimentation with a few of the available tools went a long way. Just Some Dirtbag is snappy, entertaining, imaginative, and well-made, and I recommend it as both a fine film and an example of how easy it is to explore and achieve some neat things.

Critical Score: 89/100.
Personal Score: 93/100.

[Ned]

It's not as cheerful as Sanity Clause, and features what seemed to me like an attempt by Ned to take his universe into darker territory; whether this attempt was a genuine, deliberate step in that direction or just a consequence of the nature of the story, it falters noticably, but also adds an element of depth that I haven't seen in one of Ned's films before.

It's the latter case. I didn't necessarily set out to make the film dark at the end... it just turned out that way. That's the way I like to write. While carefully-crafted plots and dialogue are always important, I always like to incorporate a carefree, "whatever happens, happens" attitude at the same time. It's what keeps it fun.

But the really interesting thing about Just Some Dirtbag is that Dirtbag isn't really the protagonist. That would be Hoffstead, one of the police officers from the later movies in the series. [...] [Dirtbag] appears here as a character without a real motivation, directionless, snarky, and playing only a peripheral role in the overall plot arc.

That's the one thing I loved about the concept behind this installment: the title is almost misleading. It isn't a movie about Dirtbag... instead, it's a movie about the duo of policemen whose run-in with Dirtbag helps to form the friendship between the two of them. Dirtbag, in essence, is merely a vehicle for the progression of the plot... he's fun, but he's not the center of attention. On the flip side, being key components in future installments, Hoffstead and Bongo needed a story of their own to explain who they are, and make us as viewers care more about them when we see them later. So through it all, you get a prequel movie that sets everything up -- characters, setting, themes -- for the rest of the saga, and stands alone as just a charming story.

Dirtbag being told to shoot Hoffstead and Hoffstead telling him to do it didn't quite ring true, for one thing.

Really? In my mind, it further confirms our understanding that Hoffstead is a genuinely humane and self-sacrificing character -- even when dealing with a person he really doesn't like -- while at the same time confirming that Dirtbag's heart is truly not that of a murderer or other hardened criminal.

Neither did the third and fourth deaths of the escaped inmates; the killings were a little pointless, as they didn't have weapons and obviously didn't pose a real threat to the police (and the last one was a kid!).

Haha... touché. Initially, the hyper dark-haired escapee was going to have a gun... but because it's Brad Ross, I switched to the katana at the last moment. I wanted to kill off all of the escapees mainly because I didn't want to leave open the possibility that they would return later in the movies. We know that they don't, so we have to get rid of them right now. I had to make an exception with the insane guy, since he was indeed unarmed and quite witless. And as for the kid specifically... I knew it would amuse my younger brother to have his character die off.

And the insane escapee was a stroke of genuis. He's used to precisely the right effect and not overexploited by even the slightest degree. His final line couldn't have been more appropriate or better timed. Great instinct here.

Denny made that character work. Giant kudos to him. At first I thought he didn't fit the role... but his performance grew on me. Washingtonian actors come through every time, what can I say.

So yeah, thanks a lot! Your reviews are always great.