Let's Go to Prison

Bob Odenkirk, of the very funny Mr. Show, directs a not-so-funny movie. Dax Shepard stars as a lifetime criminal seeking revenge on the judge who constantly sends him to jail. When the judge croaks, he sets his sights on the judge's son, Nelson (Will Arnett), framing him for a crime and getting his ass sent to federal prison. The movie is one tired jailhouse cliché after another, and it’s almost salvaged by the performances. Shepard is OK in the main role while Arnett is legitimately funny as his victim. While I did laugh at the guy making merlot in the toilet, I didn’t laugh so much at the jokes about bad prison food. I also laughed hard once at a bit where Arnett gets punched in the face a lot. Other than that, I mostly yawned. Odenkirk is a talented man and a great writer. He needs to direct his own scripts—because the stuff he's been directing is beneath him.