Quasi, the newest Broken Lizard film, takes a well-known story and turns it completely on its head. This is a must watch for fans of the comedy troupe.
Everyone knows the story of Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, but you haven’t heard it told like this before. The hilarious comedy troupe behind Super Troopers and Beerfest, Broken Lizard, put a twist on the classic tale, making it more ridiculous than you can ever imagine, in a good way.
In this version of the story Quasimodo has since moved out of the bell tower that he grew up in. He has invented the popular torture device, the rack, and works at the dungeon where townsfolk volunteer to test all the torture devices before they are used on actual prisoners. As fate would have it, he ends up between a rock and a hard place when both the king and the pope take him with killing the other.
On top of that, he has an instant connection with the new queen when he meets her, although neither of them is sure what is pulling them together. Quasi is not just a comedy, it has a bit of a love story mixed in as well.
Kevin Heffernan, Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske, Steve Lemme, and Paul Soter all play multiple roles in Quasi, sometimes even being on screen with themselves. While at first it is kind of fun piecing together who each actor portrays, you kind of forget about this part by the time the third act is over.
Just when you think things can’t get any more ridiculous, however, they do. Broken Lizard knows how to bring the humor, they are a comedy troupe after all. It was revealed during my interviews with them that a lot of what viewers will end up seeing on screen is improv. Yes, there was a hilarious script to start with, but they took what was on the page and ran with it.
There are several running jokes in Quasi. One involves height and I don’t really want to say too much more than that for fear of ruining it. But mild chuckles will turn into teary eyed laughs the longer this one goes on. Another has to do with oysters being the food of kings.
During the press day interviews I learned far more than I ever needed to know about Oysters, but it was very interesting to learn what a pain in the butt this was — but as Broken Lizard says, anything for a joke.
Overall Thoughts
If you have seen a Broken Lizard film before than you probably know what to expect. This fast paced comedy will have fans of Super Troopers cracking up. Easily one of the troupe’s best films as of late, Quasi is familiar to what they have done before, while also adding in new elements that we haven’t seen in the past. The humor builds on top of itself as the jokes keep coming, with parts of this movie sure to leave some in stitches.
Quasi almost feels like their take on Drunk History and Monty Python, and I for one certainly hope there is more to come.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
NEXT: Broken Lizard Reveals Strange Quasi Oyster Details
About Quasi
A hapless hunchback yearns for love, but finds himself in the middle of a deadly feud between the Pope and the King of France when they each order the misfit to kill the other.
Cast: Steve Lemme, Kevin Heffernan, Adrianne Palicki, Adrianne Palicki, Jay Chandrasekhar, Erik Stolhanske
Quasi starts streaming on Hulu April 20.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. She is also a Freelance Writer. Tessa has been in the Entertainment writing business for ten years and is a member of several Critics Associations including the Critics Choice Association and the Greater Western New York Film Critics Association.