Black Sheep (Film Review)

1996 Paramount Pictures
Directed by: Penelope Spheeris; Written by: Fred Wolf
Starring: Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson, Christine Ebersole, and Gary Busey
MPAA Rating: PG-13; Running Time: 86 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 2/10

Mike Donnelly loves his brother, Al, who is running for Governor of Washington. Unfortunately, the well-meaning Mike is a bumbling, trouble-making goofball, and a complete liability to Al's campaign. Al tries to shovel Mike off to his snarky campaign aide, Steve, who decides to take Mike off to a remote Washington town under the guise of campaigning to rural voters for Al. Unfortunately, that doesn't keep Mike out of trouble. Wackiness ensues?
Black Sheep is like the bad result of a year-long telephone game that started with 1995's far superior Tommy Boy. After Tommy Boy paired Chris Farley and David Spade to winning results, Paramount lazily attempts to capture lighting in a bottle twice. In the process, they forget that Tommy Boy works because it has heart, and forgets to give Black Sheep one. The film ends up consisting of a series of juvenile gags that feel disconnected to one another, and often seems to forget that Farley and Spade work well together, keeping them apart for long stretches. Both actors feel wasted, as a rushed script seems to have kneecapped director, Penelope Spheeris, so badly, she can never get the film off the ground. After Tommy Boy showed not only what Farley and Spade could do together, but what Farley could do with good dramatic material, Black Sheep can't help but feel like a massive disappointment.