'SNL' takes on 'War Horse' and misses out
Perhaps they should have waited to see the movie?
After you watch this bizarre parody of "War Horse" from last night's "Saturday Night Live," a few observations.
1. This skit is based on the play and not Steven Spielberg's Oscar contending epic.
2.
The horse in the movie is really played by a horse (don't you worry about that).
3. Kenan Thompson and a puppet make a better Albert than Andy Samberg does.
4. The horse really doesn't speak in either the play or the movie. (Perhaps a golden opportunity was missed there?)
5. Huge opportunity missed here to joke aboutthe obvious, but still hilarious line of "Boy, that Albert really loves that horse doesn't he?" which has been heard after every performance of both the London and Broadway productions by at least half the exiting audience.
6. We wish the line, "You're not just a War Horse Joey, you're a friend horse" was actually in the movie.
7. HitFix contributor Ryan McGee thinks this the skit meant as an in-joke regarding regional theater, but if it is I'm not sure who will get the in joke.
8. Not convinced this is the sort of publicity DreamWorks was looking for regarding their movie.
What did you think of the skit?
Oh, and the movie "War Horse" opens on Christmas day.
Related Events
News From Our Partners
-
The 'Doctors' Unite
'We Are Men' In 4 Words
MTV Legend Recalls Heavy Metal Frontman's Anti-Gay T-Shirt Controversy
-
What to Watch This Weekend: The Season Finales of Nikita, Doctor Who, The Simpsons, and Family Guy
The Office Series Finale Review: That'll Do, Show. That'll Do.
Syfy Renews Warehouse 13 for a Fifth and Final Season
-
Weekly Ketchup: Will Smith to Star in Wild Bunch Remake?
Critics Consensus: Star Trek Into Darkness is Certified Fresh
Red Carpet Roundup: Star Trek Into Darkness Edition
-
Kendall Schmidt of Big Time Rush Loses $7,000 Worth of Gifts for Fans [Video]
Kanye West to Drop New Album 'Yeezus' on June 18
Justin Bieber + Selena Gomez Will Sit Together at 2013 Billboard Music Awards
-
Cannes Film Festival: Cannes 2013, Day Three: Cheers for the young stars of The Selfish Giant, jeers for the new films by Hirokazu Kore-eda and Arnaud Desplechin
Hear This: Destroy This Place shows how press releases can get it right
Watch This: With Beavis And Butt-head Do America, Mike Judge skewered the idiocy of cinematic adventures
-
The Wrap Up: Remember 'The Office' With the Ultimate Blooper Reel
The Sims 3: Island Paradise's Producer Walkthrough Shows Us the Finer Points of Tropical Life
'Man of Steel' Featurette: Reinventing Superman
-
Fiery 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Scene Hurt The Most: Ouch!
How Far Will 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Boldly Go At Box Office?
'Star Trek Into Darkness': The Secret Behind The Mystery Villain
-
The Telefile - The Most Heinous Person on Reality TV This Week
The Telefile - Modern Family: The Best Lines of the Night
The Telefile - Fall TV 2013: What's On When
Get Instant Alerts on Awards Campaign
Latest Posts
-
Love and radiation in a nuclear worldSaturday, May 18, 2013
-
Harvey holds court with Nicole Kidman and Rooney MaraFriday, May 17, 2013
-
Francois Ozon's latest isn't as titillating as it wants to beThursday, May 16, 2013
-
Look who finally made it to the CroisetteWednesday, May 15, 2013
Comments
Option 1
Comment instantly as a guest GuestOption 2
Option 3
Login or create a HitFix account Login Signupvmaxxwell
December 18, 2011 at 11:32AM EST Reply to CommentAs someone who has seen the play, this sketch absolutely killed me. But it's undoubtedly very specific and audiences who are unfamiliar probably missed the joke.
Bukes The skit's obsurd. The only exposure I've had to War Horse" is the commercial and I can appreciate the sketch on it's ridiculousness. The sketch was made so both, audiences who have seen the play and audiences who haven't can get a good laugh.
December 26, 2011 at 4:07AM ESTNow what I don't get is Greg's critique. He's so stuck on the target audience and specifics that he can't appreciate some good 'ol silly humor.
UGABugKiller
December 18, 2011 at 11:33AM EST Reply to CommentGreg, I think it was just made to make you laugh.
And I disagree with McGee. Anyone who saw the Tonys or has looked up "War Horse" on YouTube wouldn't have had to go to see the show play in New York to understand the joke.
It was funny. I think you're reading MUCH to much into it.
Matthew Starr
December 18, 2011 at 2:15PM EST Reply to CommentGreg is right, this was awful but not much worse than the typical SNL crap in recent years.
DefRef
December 18, 2011 at 4:35PM EST Reply to CommentWay to have a sketch sail waaaaaaaaay over your head there, Greg. There's more to the world than movies. Broaden your horizons a little.
julianwcw
December 18, 2011 at 4:59PM EST Reply to CommentThe book is told from the horse's point of view so that's probably where they got that.
Phil
December 18, 2011 at 6:07PM EST Reply to CommentHaha, I feel like you should just straight up delete this post and act like it never happened. Or at least change the title to "Gregory Ellwood takes on 'War Horse' and misses out".
It's just funny to me that you felt strongly enough to write and publish this article but not strongly enough to actually research any part of what you're talking about. What's "bizarre" here is that the first thing on your list is how this wasn't based on the movie but a play (which you clearly haven't seen) but then bring up things like how "the horse is played by a horse in the movie", that your "not convinced this is the sort of publicity DreamWorks was looking for regarding their movie", and even have the audacity to give the article the heading: "PERHAPS THEY SHOULD HAVE WAITED TO SEE THE MOVIE?" Perhaps you should have waited to actually think through some (or any) of this.
Dryden Yes, this is pretty embarrassing. Not quite as bad as his earlier, "Why Green Lantern may be the purest DC movie!" article before he saw the movie (and when it was clear he doesn't know anything about comics and was probably skimming Wikipedia and message board subject lines).
December 18, 2011 at 9:32PM EST
December 19, 2011 at 12:53AM ESTUGABugKiller You call Geoff Johns, the man who has literally saved DC the last 6 years, time and time again, overrated, and hold up Bendis as your example of someone better? Bendis is okay, but he's no Johns.
December 19, 2011 at 10:47AM ESTYou may know comics, Greg, but your taste is... subjective. LOL.
Now, if you had said Bendis over Frank Miller, I'd be right there with you.
If you had said Bendis over Waid, well, I don't think Waid is "overrated" per se, but Bendis is better.
If you had said Bendis over Winick, I would've driven out to L.A. and hugged you, because there is no more overrated writer in the HISTORY of comics than Judd Winick. And not just overrated, but so BAD you wonder how the hell this guy keeps getting jobs.
Winick is Uwe Boll bad, to mix my metaphor.
And Green Lantern was a missed opportunity anyone could see coming a mile away. You don't turn Hal Jordon into a character from a teen soap, which is exactly what Greg "Teen Soap" Berlanti did.
"I don't KNOW if I wanna be a hero, it's so HARD, and everyone is so MEAN."
Hal Jordan never ran away from anything in his life, and this complete and total idiot Berlanti had him run away from Oa after 5 minutes.
SMFH.
Dryden You're totally wrong but I like you anyways, Greg.
December 19, 2011 at 10:52AM ESTOscar
December 19, 2011 at 9:11AM EST Reply to CommentWow, you are terrible at this, how did you get this job? The opening line of the sketch is about how they can't believe that their town was able to get a production of War Horse. The other guy who's story you linked knows what he's doing.
emsmith
January 3, 2012 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentIt's just funny.
emsmith
January 3, 2012 at 10:58AM EST Reply to CommentIt's just funny...