MOVIE REVIEW – DEANER ’89 (TORONTO PREMIERE)
Deaner ’89 is a fucking fun time and it giv’rs.
Alright, that pretty much sums it up, review done, time to have go shot gun a beer… Is probably what the Deaner himself would say if he had to review this movie. But I guess I should go a bit more in-depth.
So it’s Wednesday, I’m enjoying a chill eve, when I check my email and see an invite to the premiere screening of Deaner ’89. Hell fucking yeah! I was actually supposed to work Thursday night but my boss is a Fubar fan and let me dip early, so thanks Deaner for the night off work!
Me and my partner get to the theatre early in our metal wear and some media guy asks to take our photos in front of the movie banners which we happily rock out in front of. Where those photos are now who knows, all I have is this awkward phone shot. I did snap a quick picture as I walked out of the washroom right as the cast of the movie arrived. I will admit, I’m a bit disappointed Paul Spence didn’t show up in character as he had for other screenings, but I get it, you have to be professional for the big premiere.
I was a bit confused, being a big Fubar fan, exactly how this film tied in with the other films so I did some digging after seeing the movie. According to the press kit: “Deaner ’89 is not a Fubar movie, nor is it connected to the Fubar franchise. It should not be promoted or portrayed as such.” Apparently a while back the actors behind Deaner and Terry split ways but since Deaner was a character formed prior to Fubar by Paul Spence he kept the rights to the Dean machine and now here we are. Just something I think is good to know BEFORE checking out the film if you are a Fubar fan. This is not a Fubar movie you’re seeing. It’s a Deaner movie. Who is the best part about Fubar. But there’s nothing Fubary in this movie otherwise. It’s a bit weird really but way she goes.
I’m not a film reviewer, I’m not going to overanalyze the plot or go crazy deep into themes or concepts, you can go read a “proper” film reviewer for that. But I will say I enjoyed this film. It’s a solid hour and a half of 80’s fun (big time nostaliga for those who grew up then I’m sure), heavy metal for those who like metal (a lot of Dokken in this), and full of laughs for those who are fans of the govenor of givn’r (and those who are not, no prior Deaner knowledge required!). I was expecting dick jokes, many beers shotgunned and lots of Canadian content and I happily received all of that and more. The first half of the movie in particular was hilarious, confirmed by my partner who couldn’t stop laughing so fucking loud.
I honestly thought this movie was about how the Deaner became a rockstar so I wasn’t expecting the more serious elements of this film concerning Deaner’s Aboriginal heritage and racism. Mid film I did start to feel like this film was going in two different directions at the same time and it felt a bit like neither got fully explored, perhaps due to budget or time constraints, who knows. I do know that the acting in this was amazing across the board. I particularly enjoyed Mary Walsh, the aunt who teachers the Deaner how to shotgun a beer, and the brief but excellent cameo appearances by Kevin McDonald (Kids in the Hall) as the drunk high school teacher.
Was this an Oscar worthy fine piece of cinemea? Far from it. But it’s a fun time and at the very least pretty entertaining to see a younger 17 year old Deaner being played by 48 year old Paul Spence. As a fan of Fubar I am glad that the character Deaner is getting another chance to shine.
Overall Deaner ’89 is a great standalone film for a cult classic Canadian character that is definitely worth a watch. Go check it out in theatres and support Canadian cinema and the Dean machine.
