Yikes! This movie’s as anti PC as it can get! Does that work for or against it?
Release Date: September 12, 2019
Film: The Pest
We remembered these tropes so you don't have to:
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking: At the scene poking fun of Jews, the Critic decides to apologize to all Jews, not only for the suffering they endured during World War II, but also for this film.
- Brick Joke: Early in the film, during the second musical sequence, the Critic imitates Pestario wishing he could do blackface later. Midway through the film, he actually does so, complete with stereotypical African clothing, musical instruments and an afro, much to the Critic's horror.Critic: I was freakin' joking about doing blackface earlier, but God, I should've known not to put it past this movie!
- Call-Back: During the opening title card of film's studio, The Bubble Factory, "FUCKING BUBBLES!" can be heard in the background.
- In Name Only: The Critic's opinion on this film's billing as a retelling of The Most Dangerous Game.
- Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: In-Universe, the Critic begins the review with a discussion about the career of John Leguizamo (Pestario "Pest" Vargas), noting that long before he earned a reputation as a respectable, versatile actor who would always put on a solid performance even in bad movies, he was a divisive figure no one is quite sure what to make of, and partially attributes such reactions to this film.
- Running Gag: The Critic poking fun of director Paul Miller for having also directed the hammy The Wizard of Oz on Ice.
- Shout-Out:
- The fact that Pestario's name is a pun on "pest" is compared by a glum Critic to Steve Martin's character in The Jerk being named "J. Erk" (instead of his actual name therein, Navin R. Johnson).
- Pestario's blatant Japanese yellowface at the opening song has the Critic feigning being offended on behalf of Mickey Rooney, thinking not only is Pestario out to make Sean Connery blush, but even make John Wayne disown him, while showing the three aforementioned actors' notorious yellowface roles as, respectively, I.Y. Yunioshi from Breakfast at Tiffany's, James Bond's Japanese disguise in You Only Live Twice, and Genghis Khan in The Conqueror.
- When the Critic tells the audience that early in the film Pestario gets challenged to a basketball game, he gets a response with a clip of Charlton Heston as Spencer Trilby from True Lies asking "Why?", to which the Critic guesses it was meant as padding for the film.
- Despite the blatant racially insensitive humor, the Critic sarcastically claims the film is still less offensive than Sticks and Stones, Dave Chappelle's Netflix special which, at the time of this episode's release, received a lot of criticism for its offensive humor.
- The poor quality control of the film's DVD transfer, as shown by three faint lines to the left of the screen, has the Critic thinking a pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are pissing into the frame.
- Commenting on how he'd much rather prefer works which are deliberately made in bad taste so long as there is some cleverness therein, in contrast to the absurdities of this film, the Critic puts up South Park, Sausage Party and Sticks and Stones as examples.
- So Bad, It's Good: The Critic's In-Universe verdict on this film.
- Special Effects Failure: In-Universe, the Critic pokes fun of Himmel's bazooka for being an obvious prop after it accidentally grazed the camera at the scene where it accidentally fires onto Pestario.
- Take That!:
- Seeing that the film is produced by The Bubble Factory, the Critic sarcastically claims it produces such quality movies as Flipper, A Simple Wish and Slappy and the Stinkers (though he admits having not yet seen the latter, he claims he just wanted to say that).
- The opening sequence has the Critic thinking Pestario is doing his best Carrot Top impression from Chairman of the Board.
- The Critic compares the racially insensitive humor of the film to asking David Duke
, notorious white supremacist and former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, to impersonate international delegations at the United Nations. - At a sequence poking fun of Jews, the Critic wonders if the production team of this film saw North and decided to try to one-up its racial stereotypes.
- Commenting on the lameness of Pestario and Chubby's attempts at taunting back at a pair of Caucasian partygoers by imitating Beavis and Butt-Head, the Critic claims Fuller House is far more insulting to white people.
- Tempting Fate: At the start of the film, the Critic sarcastically wonders if there's going to be another annoying musical sequence involving Pestario and his family, only for it to immediately play out.
- Yellowface: The Critic is shocked at the frequency with which Pestario uses this trope.
