I loved Corner Gas during it's run as Canada's most popular sitcom and I've watched the show several times through on DVD. It was weird that it got a movie, the show ended prematurely so I never thought they would come back to it. But they tried to create a couple of different shows with members of the Corner Gas cast (Hiccups w/ Brent Butt and Nancy Robertson and Dan for Mayor w/ Fred Ewanuick) but both were busts. So I understand why they chose to come back to this. This show had a very dry and simple sense of humour, it wasn't for everybody but I really enjoyed it. The movie had a limited theatrical run and I got to go see it in the theatre. It delivered what I wanted in spades, I was so happy to see the crew again. Despite the time gap from the end of the series, they easily captured what made the show so great.*Minor Spoilers Ahead* Brent (Brent Butt), Wanda (Nancy Robertson) and Hank (Fred Ewanuick) are all in their usual spots at the Corner Gas Station in Dog River, Saskatchewan. Hank asks how long it's been and Brent tells him April 13, 2009 (the exact date the final episode of the show). All of a sudden, an armed robber breaks into Corner Gas, demanding the money from the register. He shoots Brent in the arm and is attacked by Hank and Wanda. The robber rips of Wanda's face and under it is a robotic exoskeleton. Brent has also revealed that he has a robot arm. The robber than transforms into a werewolf and begins to attack Wanda. Hank then wakes up at the airport muttering "lazerfur." He's there to pickup a journalist who's judging a contest Dog River has entered.Hank attempts to shoot the breeze with Tina (Karen Holness) but she's put off by his rusting truck and his country attitude. They get to Dog River expecting a peaceful atmosphere but the town is chaotic. There are fires, fights and utter chaos. Hank decides to explain the chain of events leading up to what has happened.The plot of the Corner Gas movie is pretty simple and formulaic. It's the "save the rec-centre" story re-done. But the way the movie handles it is just so perfect for a continuation of the show. The mayor of Dog River Fitzy (Cavan Cunningham) lost the town's money investing in Detroit real estate and they need to win this contest to just keep things running. So the point I'm trying to make is that yes, you've seen several aspects of this movie's story before but it's the same writers from the show and they know just how to spin it to bring the laughter. The show never re-wrote the book with it's creativity so it was almost fitting to be honest.The whole cast returned for the movie and they performed just as if the show had been going the whole time. Brent is just as sarcastic and clever, Lacey (Gabrielle Miller) is well-meaning yet neurotic behaviour. Hank has that crusty idiot personality and Oscar (Eric Peterson) is still fly-off-the-handle crank he always was. The entire cast is consistent and on point, it's cool they all came back. The movie also has some cool lower-key cameos (a couple of the on camera sports casters from TSN).The most important part is that the movie retained the shows sense of humour and the movie was hilarious. They did a good job giving each character a chance to contribute (Karen got the short shrift if I had to pick one of the central cast). They even did some things that the fans had been waiting for like Brent and Lacey finally getting together.I'll admit that this review isn't completely objective. I honestly loved the show and I'll admit that bias. But I do genuinely think this movie did an excellent job putting on one last show for it's audience. It came across as very genuine, like they knew how much the show meant to some people. I would recommend this to Corner Gas fans wholeheartedly. To the cast and crew, thanks for the memories, this was a fitting finish for the residents of the fictional town of Dog River, Saskatchewan.
... View MoreIt is often a difficult proses to write a move from a television situation comedy. Saturday Night Live has struggled with this as well when trying to write a movie from a skit. A Night at the Roxbury 1998, is a good example of when this transition from TV to film just doesn't work. Corner Gas The Movie falls into the above mentioned dilemma. It relied too much of past fan experiences to carry the characters, the humor, and the story line. If you were to come into this movie without prior knowledge of the television series, you would be left feeling as if something is lacking.The humor was predictable, flat, and had the feeling of a Nickelodeon after school special. The music or lack of, made the film seem small budgeted, and when there was music, it sounded very much like a B class TV show. .The movie does have its charm, and I am sure if you were a fan of the TV series, you will get enjoyment from the movie. Other wise, the overacting, plane writing, predictable humor, and flat plot will leave you running on empty.
... View MoreIf you are Canadian, or know someone who is Canadian, or can spell the word H-o-c-k-e-y, you may already be familiar with the legend of Corner Gas, that great opus which begat this movie.Once upon a time, deep in the bowels of the Canuck entertainment industry (an industry which owes its very existence to the exchange rate with the US dollar; and which can claim to have spawned over 90% of all the bad sequels made in the last 30 years) a fairly unknown but undeniably clever comic pitched an idea for a Canadian-ish Seinfeld ("Seinfeld without the nasty edge") and not only was it accepted, it was an international hit.Even as you read these words, on some comedy channel somewhere in the digital world, Corner Gas is running, and, like Lucy, may run long after the rest of us have shuffled off this mortal coil.The team behind GAS left the party while the getting was good, and tried a bunch of spinoffs. The fact that you never heard of the spinoffs pretty much answers your next 2 questions.Which left only one option -- recapture the glory days by bringing the whole team back into harness for a feature.And here we are.It's actually hard to review because -- and this is fatal for a critic -- I know the series too well, and that means I am reacting to my memory of the characters as much as the characters themselves, in the movie.So, bottom line, if you are fan of the original, there are worse ways to spend a rainy afternoon than with Brent and boys. And the incredibly photogenic Gabrielle Miller doesn't hurt either.However, as raw entertainment, there are problems. The script is massively overwritten. You get the feeling that every time writer A noticed a problem, writer B would try to plaster over it with a clever pun or a segue. With the expected result.None of which changes the fact that it is meandering, overlong, uneven, and poorly meshed to the feature-length format.That's my view as a critic.As a fan, however, it was great fun to see the gang back in action again!
... View MoreThis is my very first review here at IMDb. I am writing this to get the word about this little project. Corner Gas started as a curious Canadian sitcom set in the fictional small town Dog River where nothing ever happens. Soon the show was hailed by critics and audiences across the country and also in United States and other countries for its authenticity, lovable and relatable characters, and its quirkiness and brilliant wordplay. The show ended with its head held high after successful six seasons and it left its audience wanting more and the movie delivered what the audience wanted. The movie happens after five years where the show left us. Typical of Dog River, nothing happened during those years except for some small character (that we love) developments. But trouble comes in the form of economic disaster for Dog River. All the money in the budget is spent and what the whole town does to save it forms the rest of the story. Every beloved character has plenty of scenes, snappy dialogues and word plays. As a fan I'm completely satisfied and as a stand alone movie for audiences who've never watched the show, it will be a fun couple of hours except for the occasional and inevitable references from the series! Usually most of the movies based on beloved TV series have always been complete disasters. But Brent Butt and team managed to make a follow up movie just as delightful as the TV show we all adore.
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