Movie Review: The Shrimp on the Barbie... Have Shrimp? Will Travel

Australians will tell anyone that shrimp in Australia are called prawns and barbie is slang for barbecue. So, for American audiences, the title of the film became “The Shrimp on the Barbie.” Except in Europe, where the title was changed, since Mattel owns the brand: Barbie. If you want to sound cosmopolitan, be sure to say when visiting Australia to "throw another prawn on the barbie."

In this movie, the shrimp, or prawn, on the barbie is Carlos, an American transplant in Australia, who jumps from one fire to another in this romantic comedy.

*****

The Shrimp on the Barbie

Down on his luck and working in a Mexican restaurant in Australia, an American tourist is hired by an icy heiress to pose as an obnoxious new boyfriend in an attempt to make her father accept her current boyfriend.

IMDB

*****Spoiler Time*****

The Breakdown

Poor Carlos (played by Cheech Marin), he moves from America to Australia to hit it big: financially. His girlfriend stayed behind as he chased his dreams to become stable and secure, in order to marry her. After he flies Downunder, he discovers that his prospects go from bad to worse. Not only is the mansion that was supposed to be awaiting him a bust, but so is the Mexican restaurant he is employed at as a waiter. Soon, he receives a Dear John letter from his girlfriend, who is set to marry his best friend. To top it all off, he screws up a high-profile birthday at the restaurant.

Depressed, Carlos is desperate to help his boss save the restaurant from foreclosure, he ends up taking a deal from Alexandra Hobart (played by Emma Samms), a rich, entitled woman whose only goal is to marry Bruce. Her father sees that her taste in men has declined, but drives a hard bargain with Alexandra: give up Bruce and the next boyfriend, no matter how terrible, he will approve. This sets into motion Alexandra recruiting the bad waiter, Carlos, from her father’s birthday party for assistance for the sum of five thousand dollars.

Carlos sees a way to save the restaurant. Alexandra sees a way to beat her father at his own game. On the periphery, her father (played by Terrence Cooper) overhears a conversation between Carlos and Alexandra about their deal, and sets them up as well as Bruce.

In the end, Alexandra realizes that the sensitive Carlos has more redeeming qualities as a man than the exuberant and crude Bruce. With her new perspective, she admits to her father what she had done. He in turn hands her the photographs that show the real Bruce in action: sleeping with her best friend and beating up Carlos.

After showing their mutual friends the photos at Bruce’s birthday party, Alexandra rushed to the Mexican restaurant to apologize to Carlos. Unfortunately, Carlos packed his things and bought a return ticket to American. Alexandra rushes to the airport, but the plane has already taxied out. Her father calls the president of the company and has Carlos escorted to the terminal.

The pair is reunited. With the help of her father’s investment in the Mexican restaurant, it is saved. Carlos sees his dreams of helping his friend, gaining financial improvement, and finding love come true.

*****
The Review

Carlos: Who died and made you Darth Vader, huh?

The Shrimp on the Barbie is an underrated and understated film. It will never win an Academy Award, but this 90s film has its merits. The characters grow and change into better people, except for the two antagonists, of course.

The protagonists come to some personal revelations. Carlos learns that with perseverance he can achieve his goals. Alexandra learns that not everything that glitters is gold. Diamonds in the rough can be more precious. Her father learns that his daughter is a grown woman who may need guidance, but not his manipulation, and refried beans are good!

And, watch out for Joeys! They pack a mean punch.

Purchased from Prime Video.

Note: This film was released at 86 minutes with a PG-13 rating. The video version features a minute of additional footage (including nudity) and is rated R.

*****

The Tally

My review will be posted on Prime as well as IMDB.

Prime... 4.5 (4) out of 5 stars

IMDB... 8.5 (8) out of 10 stars

Have a great and wonderful day.

 _____

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The Price of Your Inclusivity May Be Your Creativity

In a mad dash to be as woke as possible, the film industry is changing its rules for inclusion into the awards season by destroying the creative process. 

Did you check off all the boxes? Did you include everyone except the people you do not agree with? About time Hollywood ditches 82.5% of America and concentrates only on the most important 4.5% LGBTQ and the 13% African American population. That is, if you are into the statistical make up of the United States.

When organizations design hurdles to control the narrative, then what is the point in participating? It looks like micromanaging at best and social engineering at worst. 

People become engaged in authentic stories that have the look and feel of real people. That movie could be science fiction or Shakespearean, but when artificial external influences change the feel of the characters, that is when the public checks out. Woke doctrine has destroyed American cultural institutions like education, sports, and entertainment. There is a reason why woke makes corporations go broke.

Maybe that is the joke? 

The vast majority of Americans are not buying into the woke revolution. So the joke is lost on them, completely. Yet, sports teams and the film industry keep pushing the envelope on a product a large swath of people have no interest in consuming. 

Are wealthy entertainers just tone deaf?

According to Deadline Hollywood, “…the Kansas City Chiefs pummeled the Houston Texans 34-20, and the ratings were down — a lot. In early numbers, the primetime NBC game scored a 5.2 among adults 18-49 and 16.4 million viewers between 8-11 p.m. ET.

“Now, those numbers for the 8:25-11:30 p.m. ET game will certainly be adjusted upward later, but right now they mark a 16.1% drop over the spectacle of the September 5, 2019 season opener in the advertiser-rich demographic. In an America and a NFL still adjusting to the new normal of live sports in the era of COVID-19, last night’s game also fell 16.1% in total sets of eyeballs from last year’s fast affiliate results.”

then there is: 

The site reported that the “Braves-Phillies earned a 0.8 and 1.20 million on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball (including ESPN2 Statcast coverage) — down 30% in ratings and 33% in viewership from week five of last season (5/5/19: Cardinals-Cubs: 1.1, 1.81M), but up a tick and 2% respectively from last year’s comparable date (9/1/19 Mets-Phillies: 0.7, 1.19M).

“Earlier Sunday,” SMW added, “a Yankees-Mets doubleheader had a 0.25 and 381,000 on TBS and a 0.18 and 303,000 on ESPN2. Cardinals-Reds had 340,000 and Padres-Rockies 231,000 on ESPN Monday.”

When there is no audience to play to, there is no revenue. No one will by dvds, jerseys, or tickets. Slowly but surely these industries will die a horrible death only to be buried as paupers. 

What is the point of this exercise? Humans are attracted to stories they can relate to and feel are organic, authentic products. Like begets like, that is your audience.

All the woke writers are following a fad that will soon fade out. Do you really want to be known for that book you wrote way back when it was cool to be exclusionary person? 

Undawnted follows mythology, literature, and original creativity initiatives. No fluff here. No fads. No woke. Just real characters that look and feel authentic. 

That is how writers should write: from their internal processes. Soon woke culture will bankrupt entertainment because the fashion of exclusion of more than 80% of Americans will soon go out of style. 

You can include anyone you want in your creativity, but once you start down the road of selective editing to satisfy an imaginary checklist: that is when your readership checks out.

The sports ratings in particular support this thesis statement.

Stop the joke now: exclusivity is not that funny.

RIP Mr Spock

It seems legends are becoming myth.

Another old Hollywood actor passed away today. A man who had been in film and television since 1951 then went on to become a science fiction icon: Leonard Nimoy as Star Trek's Mr. Spock. The character reflect our humanity back at us. 

Sometimes too well. 

Like Robin Williams before him, he will be missed. Hollywood is losing its icons as surely as it produces the next generation of them. Today, we sit and read over the accomplishments of the son of Ukrainian immigrants.

Since James Doohan passed away ten years ago, I guess Scottie really did beam him up...