Rating: One and a half Stags

We have all heard the saying “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it.” Whoever said this did not have have money in mind. “Reno 911!:Miami,” the most recent television show to be adapted into a movie, forgets this saying.

Based on the popular Comedy Central show, “Reno: 911,” the movie adaptation follows the team of screw-up cops as they venture to Miami for the American Police convention. Through a glitch in the system their reservation is lost and the crew is forced to stay at a hole in the wall hotel across town. Meanwhile, the Miami Convention Center experiences a bio-terrorism attack that forces all the cops there under quarantine leaving only the Reno team to protect Miami’s streets. What follows is a fish out of water on crack stream of scenarios as the team attempts to respond to 911 calls.

The funniest moments in the movie are when the cast ditches the script and goes back to its improvisation roots. The casts who are normally outstanding appear to be uncomfortable in the new format, so much that the characters start to feel like a simplified version of the characters on the t.v.show.

“Reno,” features more encounters with wild animals then people. Without the juxtaposition of the stereotypical cops against a straight man, the characters lose dimension. A lesson could have been learned from “Borat,” another show adaptation in a mockumenary format. What made “Borat” work is that it was Borat positioned against a world of seemingly normal people. “Reno,” provides no center of normality for audiences to relate to, making “Reno” seem so unbelievable that it could only be in a movie. This constant reminder that you are watching a movie takes away from the truly funny moments within “Reno.”

Even fans of the show will not respond to, “Reno.” Instead they will be dying to see their favorite characters returned to their comfort zone of Comedy Central. For all the non-“Reno,” fans who think the trailer looks funny, just stay at home and watch the show. Either way you are looking at about 22 minutes of good comedy.

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