5 reasons 'Wet Hot American Summer' is way better than expected
When Wet Hot American Summer came out 14 years ago, it was a certifiable flop in theaters. I didn't even know of the movie's existence until it was screened-- I kid you not-- on the last night of my Jewish summer camp. Though I thought the movie choice was "so random" at the time, I decided to check it out, because I was a bored prude who had little to do while my bunkmates were hooking up with their summer boyfriends.
Obviously, I fell in love with Wet Hot American Summer, the absurd comedy from David Wain and Michael Showalter about the last day of overnight camp. So when I heard that Netflix was creating a prequel series to the cult classic, I was excited, but nervous that the reboot would pull an Arrested Development-- as in, fail to capture the bizarre spirit of the original.
I didn't need to worry.
Here are 5 reasons Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp exceeded any expectations:
1. The new characters fit in nicely
Jon Hamm, Chris Pine, Lake Bell, Jason Schwartzman, Josh Charles, Michael Cera and David Wain play some of the welcome newcomers at Camp Firewood. Each fresh face plays an archetype with a twist. For example, Cera is Jim Stansel, an ambulance-chasing lawyer (well, public urination cases are his specialty) who's hilariously logical and literal. (Also, his name, itself, is a joke.)
2. Old characters get inventive back stories
There's a reason Elizabeth Banks' Lindsay is so easy and an actual explanation for why Christopher Meloni's Gene has conversations with a can of vegetables in the movie. The show doesn't just repeat plot points, but plants easter eggs for fans of the film and even gives the characters more motivation to act the way they do on the last day of camp.
3. It's so true to Jew camp
The overnight camp references get even more silly and specific in the series than they did in the movie. Paul Rudd's Andy has mediocre guitar skills that the ladies love, the same way I fawned over the guys who "jammed," probably not so impressively, in our camp's music room. In the show, I was so happy to see "Weird Al" Yankovic playing a hypnotist who performs for campers. At my camp,
who leads one of the most hotly-anticipated evening activities of the summer. This is a thing, people.
4. Seeing seasoned, adult actors perform teenage dialogue is even funnier now
When the movie camp out, Bradley Cooper was in his late twenties. Now, he's a 40-year-old Oscar nominee. So yes, it's even more amusing to watch him dress and act like a teenage drama counselor who's in love with Michael Ian Black's McKinley. And we're all in on the joke when Amy Poehler's Susie ends a relationship, because she's 16 "too young" for it. As a viewer, it's also fun to play the "which character has aged a lot since the movie" game.
5. The music doesn't get old
https://open.spotify.com/track/6zZGysm4b70bkH0z3x9exO
Jefferson Starship's Jane is at the start of every episode, and even bingers won't want to fast-forward through its beautiful '80s guitar licks. It just gets you hyped.