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Wayne's World (1992)

One World, One Party

Rating: 8/10

Running Time: 95 minutes

UK Certificate: PG

On DVD

'Wayne's World' – a quiet, unassuming film about two impeccably turned-out young men who share a passion for fine wines, expensive restaurants and classical music. Not.

Mike Myers, in pre-purple velvet suit and 'Oh, behave' days, co-wrote and starred in this mullet-tastic rock-com that taught teens and oldies alike how to 'party on'. He's Wayne Campbell, the goofy-but-charming host of the small-time public access TV show 'Wayne's World'. The guy sitting next to him with the milk-bottle-thick NHS specs and burst-sofa-style hair is Garth Algar (Dana Carvey), his trusty sidekick.

It looks like fame and fortune is just around the corner for the heavy metal-loving twosome when gelled-up TV exec Benjamin (Rob Lowe) hands them each a hefty wad of cash and announces his attention to stick them on prime time. And, thankfully, Benjamin's a real straight-down-the-middle, genuine kinda guy. Yeah – and monkey's might fly out of my butt.

Tia Carrere – who turned down a regular gig in 'Baywatch' to audition for this one – plays rock chick Cassandra, the requisite love interest with an impressive singing voice and all-round easy-on-the-eye demeanour. But try not to worry too much about how all this fits together – the plotline is openly tongue-in-cheek (with both Wayne and Garth regularly talking directly to the camera) and it's really all just a way of getting from one comedy sketch scenario to the next. That's hardly surprising, given the whole idea started off as a 'Saturday Night Live' skit and, along with 'The Blues Brothers', is one of the few of its' origin to become a major success on the big screen.

There are some terrific lines and moments crammed into the hour-and-a-half running time, but the most memorable falls just five minutes in with the all-time classic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' scene. That's a tough intro for the rest of the movie to live up to – but, credit where it's due, it pretty much manages it.

It's Got: Alice Cooper leading a long line of cameos, with a deadpan delivery of some fascinating facts about the history of Milwaukee. Wayne: Does this guy know how to party or what!?.

It Needs: To be watched in baseball cap, shoulder-length wig and Van Halen t-shirt. Better add some trousers to that list as well.

DVD Extras Extreme close-up featurette and an audio commentary from Penelope Spheeris. DVD Extras Rating: 5/10

Summary

One of the best comedies of the 90s, with some clever humour delivered by some less-than-clever characters.