Unveiling the Mystery of Alaska

If you want to know about the great state of Alaska, just watch M. Jay Roach's Mystery, Alaska. Alaska has the following:

• Cold


• Hockey


• Freezing snow


• Adultery


• Damn cold


• Underage sex


• Hockey

And that's just about it.

Now if you're not familiar with M. Jay Roach, he's the director of the Austin Powers films, so I was expecting this movie to be funnier. There are some reallly funny moments, but it made me appreciate how much the humor of Austin Powers should be attributed to Mike Myers. The director is just there to help manage things. Mystery, Alaska tries to be funny, and it manages sometimes, but it's really an ensemble romantic film tied around a Rocky story.

It's no Rocky, though. That movie had real gravitas. This one has Burt Reynolds, who should, like the Rolling Stones, quit. He's absolutely the worst part in this movie. He made me want to relive my junior high days. They were more fun than watching him. Russel Crowe is great, of course, but his acting is beside the point. He's only one small part of this larger town, and the movie doesn't focus on him, not like it should in order to be labeled a good movie.

The fact is, though--I guess I should admit it--I enjoyed Mystery, Alaska. It was a feel good movie about how it's okay to live in a small town. The people in small towns are just as good as the jerks from the big cities who look down on them and call them "hicks" or even "lumberjacks" in this case. Being from Central, SC, I sympathized with that point. It made me feel warm inside.

And the characters are likeable, too. I found myself caring about them. I wanted them to make good. I wanted their lives to be enjoyable. I wanted them to win their big hockey game.

But these things do not a good movie make. Mystery, Alaska is, finally, enjoyable but not great. Comforting but trite. Warm but, well, freezing-your-arse-off cold.

Grade for Mystery, Alaska: 5