My Review of "My Cousin Vinny"

My Cousin Vinny is a comedy that came out in 1992. I think this is kind of a lost genre in movies. We don't get too many subtle adult targeted comedies anymore. Comedies today normally have slapstick or utterly absurd scenes. This movie is not raunchy or obscenely profane either. We get the odd swearing but it's only to make a point.

The movie starts off innocently with two young men, Bill and Stan. The two seem to be doing some road trip after school. They're passing through the deep south of the US and make a small pitstop to pick up some snacks. Everything seems to be okay until Bill realizes he had a can of tuna stuck in his pocket after they've left. He didn't realize that he didn't pay for the can.

Not too long after the police stop Bill and Stan for what they thought was shoplifting. Under this presumption they answer the questions quite terribly. They admit to the crime and are cooperative in any way they can. Unfortunately for them, this was not a shoplifting incident. What they were being arrested for was actually for homicide.

Shortly after Bill and Stan left the store, it seems that 2 individuals that fit their description had killed the shop clerk. Now the two have no money and are stranded in a location foreign to them. They don't know what to do but call home.

Fortunately for the two of them, Bill has a cousin Vinny who has been practicing law. Well, he says he practices law but it soon becomes apparent that he is over his head with this situation. Still, Vinny is a lot more cunning than they expect and he is tenacious in getting things done.

This movie is a lot of laughs. They aren't laugh so hard your gut hurts. These are laughs that will make you smile. I think I had a smile on my face throughout the movie. The charm of the cast really bring out the best of all of these characters. No small part is without some sort of bright light. Each of them play a small part in the overall glow of this film.

I also liked the clever little foreshadows sprinkled throughout the movie. They kind of tell you what is going to happen without you knowing it. This is quite a dated movie but I don't think you need to know any pop cultural references to get this movie. Everything is done in a general way and there's not much explanation to have people understand what's going on. I think this was written intentionally so that later generations would still be able to keep up. Complicated things are meant to be complicated. You're not supposed to understand.

These type of movies used to be a dime a dozen back in the day. Clever script with a bunch of charismatic actors that invite the audience to have fun with them. I kind of miss movies like this. There's a general wholesomeness that comes from watching this movie that makes you feel warm and happy after watching it. There are no big explosions or even much violence in the film. The murder isn't even a big part of the movie.

I'm actually surprised after so many years they have never rebooted or made a sequel to this movie. I think it would have been ready for a sequel a long time ago. The ending kind of left things a little open ended.

Overall, I had a great time with this movie. There are some things that feel a little corny but it's kind of the nature of these type of movies. I thought it was well written and superbly acted. I have to give this movie a 7 out of 10.