Postal
Blu-ray – Unrated Edition
Directed by Uwe Boll
Starring Zack Ward, Dave Foley, J.K. Simmons, Verne Troyer, Erick Avari, Seymour Cassel
Vivendi Entertainment
Release date: August 26, 2008

Making movies based on video games is definitely a slippery slope in the movie industry. Other than Resident Evil, which did well enough in the box office to spawn two sequels, seeing a successful movie based on a video game is about as rare as a watchable Uwe Boll movie. I was hoping that after watching Postal on Blu-ray, a movie not only directed by Boll but also based on a video game, I could kill two birds with one stone.

The movie follows a young man, named “Postal Dude,” who feels the world is against him. He blows his job interview, his obese wife is cheating on him, and to make matters worse, he is living in a trailer park. Fed up with life, he joins his Uncle Dave, a leader of a cult filled to the brim with scantily clad babes and accompany him in his quest to spread his message. What follows is lots of gunfire, lewd humor, Osama Bin Laden, and Verne Troyer.

I knew when the movie started with two terrorists arguing about how many virgins they will receive after they crash the plane they hijacked that things were not going to get any better. The movie is not great by any means. The humor is terrible and at times, just plain in poor taste. I do not think that I have ever come across a movie that insulted so many groups of people. From terrorists to old Chinese ladies, no one is safe. The only problem is that, while some of the stereotypes are all too true, the writing is so mean-spirited, it is hard to laugh at all at any of them.

The fairly unknown cast does a pretty decent job with the material that is given to them. I was very surprised by the appearances by both Dave Foley and J.K Simmons. Foley is good in pretty much everything he does and he is mildly entertaining in this movie. Although, I would have lived a pretty happy life without having to see Foley full monty in a movie. Not the greatest thing in the world.

Simmons, best known as J. Jonah Jameson in the Spider-Man movies, appears briefly as a politician and definitely adds some depth into the cast. I have no clue as to why he would choose to do such a film but he did make it bearable, if only during his few scenes. Even Verne Troyer, of Austin Powers fame, appears as himself in this film. I could only imagine that the paycheck was just too big for Mr. Troyer to say no.

The Blu-ray DVD offers a list of extras, including a feature on Boll boxing his critics. Literally. This version also comes with a complete version of Postal 2, for the PC.

This is my first encounter with a Uwe Boll film and it was definitely not a pleasant experience. Postal was at best, mildly entertaining but overall, a bad film. Boll does his best to enrage, insult, and degrade just about everyone who would dare watch his film but he does it with so little tact and humor, there really is no entertainment value.