It doesn’t happen in Blockbuster. Mike (Mos Def) is looking after the ailing Be Kind Rewind video (yeah, you got it – VIDEO) store for boss Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) when Jerry (Jack Black) inadvertently wipes the store’s entire stock by virtue of his new-found magnetism. When Fletcher’s pal Ms. Falewicz turns up wanting to watch Ghostbusters, Mike is panicked; no Ghostbusters equals word of his incompetence filtering back to the boss. Jerry and Mike have no option but to remake the film themselves. Can their new fangled genre of ‘Sweding’ save the store?
Gondry’s famed trickery takes a back seat as he opts for accessibility over artistry. Fans of his previous work won’t be disappointed as his skills are used more selectively, serving to add a unique touch to an undeniably funny comedy. Black does his usual lovable buffoon routine, but the talents of Gondry and Mos Def make Be Kind Rewind a classic eighties comedy for 2008.
