Today’s quick review: Mafia!. Anthony Cortino (Jay Mohr) was born into a mafia family. His father Vincenzo (Lloyd Bridges) occupies a position of power in the criminal underworld. His brother Joey (Billy Burke) is eager to take the reins of his father’s empire. In spite of the protests of his girlfriend Diane (Christina Applegate), Anthony finds himself drawn to the mafia lifestyle and its promise of money, power, and danger.
Mafia! is a goofy crime comedy that spoofs the most famous films of the genre. Mafia! follows the same recipe as films like Airplane!, serving up a ridiculous comedy cocktail of slapstick, sight gags, and parody. The movie is a pastiche of mob films like the Godfather trilogy and Casino, with a slew of other references thrown in for good measure. In spite of a fun sense of humor, the caliber of the film is lower than its comedic brethren.
Mafia! skews towards lower forms of comedy than other movies like it. The jokes are shallow and lack the subtle barbs of similar endeavors. The movie throws out references, puns, slapstick, and crude humor in the hope that something will stick, with mixed results. The individual jokes are often funny, but there’s nothing linking one to the next, and the film passes up chances for more elaborate parodies by opting for the simplest jokes possible.
The result is a light but not fully satisfying watch that will appeal to fans of the absurd. Mafia! earns a few good laughs through energy, audacity, and its rich vein of source material, but it lacks the care and attention that define the best films in the genre.
For a more consistent spoof of the same source material, try Johnny Dangerously. For the equivalent for the spy genre, try Spy Hard. For a more successful comedy in the same vein, try Airplane!, Hot Shots!, or Top Secret!.
5.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a few good gags with a fair amount of missed potential.