"Reno 911!: Miami" teaches us one lesson: a gimmick that is amusing for half an hour won't necessarily work when stretched out an extra hour. Under some circumstances, you might be able to survive "Reno 911!"'s never-ending stream of cheap humor, vomit-inducing outfits and generally ludicrous situations for 30 minutes, but if you can stand to stay awake for the cinematic horror that is "Reno 911!: Miami," you've really accomplished something.
The premise of the film is that the Reno police force in all its glory travels to Miami Beach to attend a national police convention. Much to everyone's dismay, Lieutenant Dangle failed to register for the event, forcing the team to be relegated to a "suck fest" hotel. Upon their return to the convention the next morning, they are informed that the convention center, containing over 2,000 law enforcement officials, has been quarantined due to a terrorist biological attack, rendering the Reno team the only available force to patrol the Miami area. Dutifully, the team struggles to keep the streets of Miami safe from everything from lewd conduct to beached whales.
Two hours are spent watching the absurd officers attend to various unrelated 911 calls around the city, intermittently displaying naked women and drunken debauchery. The documentary style ends up appearing like something a six-year-old with a camcorder might come up with, and although it does succeed in highlighting the amusing characteristics of each of the squad members, it is so mundane that it just isn't worth it.
The real joy of it all is when "Reno" attempts to pull off an ever-so-shocking plot twist in the end, finishing off what should only be referred to as a disgrace to comedy. Reno enthusiasts beware: if you've seen the trailer, that's all you're going to get because everything else is the same run-of-the-mill crude humor. There is nothing remotely complicated about anything that occurs in the film. "Reno 911!" has about as much originality as "Rugrats" when the cartoon went big with "The Rugrats Movie" (1998).
To harp on the acting ability would be excessive; if you have ever watched an episode, you are well aware of what to expect. Sure, Thomas Lennon as Lt. Jim Dangle is amusing, and admittedly, he has pretty toned legs, but we've seen it all before. His character has nothing more to offer, whether in Reno or elsewhere.
The film's one bright spot is Nick Swardson's cameo as a flamboyant beach roller-skating enthusiast Terry, also a friend from back in Reno. With his brief appearance, something shocking occurred: people laughed. The lack of screen time for Swardson, (best known as Jeff from the equally vulgar, but much funnier "Grandma's Boy" [2006]), is a travesty; it might have salvaged what dignity "Reno 911!" had left.
The terrible acting could, however, be a result of the flimsy plot and inane dialogue that sets up utterly ridiculous situations with only a hint of humor which is, predictably, always sexual. Maybe a sexually frustrated 15-year-old boy might get a kick out of the nude beach scenes and constant masturbation, but for almost anyone else it is almost embarrassing to watch. Shows like "Reno" keep repeating the same lines in different situations, and for a lame Comedy Central gig, that's acceptable. For a full-length film, the humor borders on cruel, especially under the premise that it will, in fact, be funny, as the trailer would have one believe.
Even for a fan of the show, this film is certain to be a disappointment. As proven by shows like "Family Guy," crude humor can be done in a unique way, but this production certainly doesn't cut it. The mistake lies in the fact that the film feels like an extension of a single episode. It goes on, and on, until it self-destructs in neither an amusing nor an entertaining fashion.
