Plot: A space probe lands on a distant alien world, dispatched to collect samples of these new worlds, but this one winds up with more than expected. Some of the planet’s residents happen to be in the area as the probe collects soil samples, only to be collected themselves. Once the probe returns to earth, the aliens escape capture, but the youngest is separated and hides out, while the others try to survive and adapt to this strange new locale. The small alien winds up discovered by Eric (Jade Calegory), a young man who is confined to a wheelchair and could use a new friend, so the two strike up a quick bond and Eric keeps his new friend safe. But with the alien’s family out there and NASA on the hunt for the escaped aliens, how long can Eric keep his new buddy protected and will they run out of soda?

Entertainment Value: An extended commercial for McDonalds and Coca Cola, Mac and Me is one of those movies that was reviled on release, but garnered a cult fan base as a movie so bad, you can’t but be entertained. The sheer brazenness of the product placement is reason enough to bask in the ridiculousness of Mac and Me, but that is just part of the train wreck here. The narrative is an obvious knockoff of E.T., but it drops the sentiment and serious tone for a Ronald McDonald cameo, a kid in a wheelchair falling down a hill, and of course, some of the most abysmal, yard sale level aliens you will ever witness. The nonsensical plot threads combine with the relentless ads for an oddball experience, which turns even more outlandish when the movie tries to add emotion, only to crash and burn. I appreciate these attempts to add some depth, as if you’re going to set off a cinematic bomb, you might as well go big and Mac and Me certainly goes for broke with the poor decisions. The performances are in line with the rest of the movie, awkward and terrible, but impossible to take your eyes off. Mac and Me is one of the true cinematic car crashes that you have to see to believe, a movie that is a total abomination, but also a hell of a good time.

No nakedness, no blood. Mac and Me is aimed at family audiences, so it keeps things safe for kids. As much as I would love to see one of the aliens just annihilated in epic fashion, the lack of sleaze and gore makes sense here. The dialogue is ludicrous and comes across like rejected material from a low end 80s sitcom, which means lame, awkward, and always hilarious. You can easily see almost all of the one liners and family talks being right at home in a terrible, cheesy television show, it just has that special sitcom vibe all over it. This is bolstered by the cast, who perform at the level you’d expect from a sitcom on the verge of cancellation. Where Mac and Me truly shines is in the total craziness involved, as this is filled with questionable moments that just make you wonder what the hell happened here. The constant push of McDonalds, Skittles, and Coke is beyond all belief and puts all other product placement campaigns to shame, down to an actual appearance from Ronald McDonald himself. The wheelchair tumble and totally outlandish McDonalds dance routine are highlights, but there is a wealth of just out of this world nonsense in Mac and Me.

Nudity: 0/10

Blood: 0/10

Dialogue: 5/10

Overall Insanity: 10/10

The Disc: Shout Factory’s Blu-ray release looks rough as the film begins, but settles into a rock solid visual presentation. I wasn’t dazzled here and there’s room for improvement, but the movie looks much better than previous home video editions. The colors are bright and natural, while detail is stepped up, just not to eye popping or remarkable levels. The extras are sparse for a Collector’s Edition, but include new audio comments from director Stewart Raffill, who also returns for a new interview segment and songwriter Allee Willis also provides a new interview session. The disc also has tv spots, still photos, and original trailers.

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