I'm not a hater of Pauly Shore by any means, he can be a very funny guy and I rather liked Biodome which came after this film. But this one really stretched Shore's smart aleck personality way too far.
Jury Duty is now something I try to avoid figuring that back in the day I served on three of them at one time or another. And the next time I'm eligible I would be over 70 years old and would get an automatic exemption should I choose. But if you have nothing else to do, your life isn't going anywhere, why not take that magnificent sum of $5.00 a day for service.
That's what Shore figures when his mother Shelley Winters and her long time boyfriend Charles Napier get married and he's at loose ends. And wouldn't you know it, he gets on the jury of an accused serial killer, Sean Whalen. Shore however finds a way to make Jury Duty not only profitable, but quite comfortable.
Whalen is accused of butchering and dismembering several fast food managers when he's found sleeping at the place their bodies were stashed. If he didn't do it his hopes for justice rest on the shoulders of Pauly Shore a fate I'd not wish on anyone.
Pauly gets way too over the top in Jury Duty and you'd better like him if you have any hopes of liking this film. Also I just can't believe that fellow juror Tia Carrere would ever fall for someone like Shore. But that's movie magic for you.
Among other places Pauly takes his cues from is that flawed classic 12 Angry Men. When I reviewed that I said that Henry Fonda's actions, one in particular would have been grounds for a mistrial. Ironically because of what Shore does, Judge Abe Vigoda does declare a mistrial.
Justice does get served in a highly unusual manner. If that pleases you by all means see Jury Duty. Otherwise people who are not Pauly Shore's fans will have a hard time with this film.
Jury Duty
1995
Action / Comedy
Plot summary
When jobless Tommy Collins discovers that sequestered jurors earn free room and board as well as $5-a-day, he gets himself assigned to a jury in a murder trial. Once there, he does everything he can to prolong the trial and deliberations and make the sequestration more comfortable for himself.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLUMovie Reviews
A Mistrial
Stupid not in a funny way
Tommy Collins (Pauly Shore) drives off all the ladies and loses the stripper job at his uncle Sal's. He is hopelessly unemployed and living with his mom (Shelley Winters). The police captures the Drive-Thru Killer and Tommy gets jury duty. His mom takes off for Vegas and he's aiming to get sequestered for a long free hotel stay. And it pays $5 a day. Monica (Tia Carrere),Frank (Stanley Tucci) and Tommy's old Principal Beasely (Richard Riehle) are some of the jurors.
Pauly Shore is playing the moron and a slacker jerk. He's doing it solo. It's boring and unfunny. The script is stupid and not in a funny way. It's like a really weak '12 Angry Men'. The best I could say about this movie is that Pauly Shore could have been more annoying. That's little comfort.
If a small taco is a taquito, then a small judge... must be a Judge Ito!
I am sure that there is someone out there in movie audiences that like Pauly Shore. I mean, he has to have made something worth watching, right? Well, it certainly wasn't this movie. Except for Tia Carrere, there really isn't anything to see here.
The concept is innovative, I have to admit. Made homeless, he gets on jury duty in a murder case to get sequestered, and he keeps the jury going (Spoof of 12 Angry Men?)to keep a roof over his head. But even the murderer (Sean Whalen) gets irritated. I got irritated long before that.
Well, let's just wait for the next Pauly Shore venture with American Idol, Ruben Studdard. I am sure it will be as good as this one.