'Get Duked!' on Amazon Prime a rogue, brogue Scottish satire on class warfare
“Get Duked!” - ★ ★ ½
Back in the day, a blackly comical absurdist horror tale like “Get Duked!” would have been easily elected to serve a term or two on the midnight cult movie circuit.
Drug-ingesting, rebel misfit teen heroes being stalked by two tattered mask-wearing class elitists on the mountainous landscapes of the Scottish Highlands?
That sounds culty enough.
Toss in some hallucinogenic bunny poop and this becomes a showcase for director Ninian Doff, whose background in commercials, film shorts and music videos gives his first feature film a fun, driving hip-hop vibe.
But not quite the level of emotional investment his caricatured slackers could use to complement the silly horrors and outrageous circumstances they encounter.
The setup to “Get Duked!” (formerly titled “Boyz in the Wood” when it won the Midnighter's Audience Award at last year's SXSW Film Fest) involves three big-city juvies and a nervous-Nelly teen on a two-day, scout-like survivalist odyssey through the highlands to win the uncoveted “Duke of Edinburgh Award.”
They include impulsive Duncan (Lewis Gribben), unflappable Dean (Rian Gordon), and rappin' William (Viraj Juneja). Oops. I mean DJ Beatroot, the hip-hop handle William uses when creating his prolific songs, all of them centered around his prized naughty bits.
A sheltered introvert named Ian (Samuel Bottomley) joins the group under the dismissive eye of their counselor Mr. Carlyle (Jonathan Aris), who wonders why anyone would let kids perform this dangerous two-day trek into the comparative wilderness — as he abandons them to do just that.
A prominent, nearby bulletin board filled with missing persons notices escapes the teens' apparently limited attention-spans.
Off they go into the wild green yonder, each wearing a sharply distinctive colored jacket. After some general grousing and goofing and getting to know Ian, the teens abruptly run into the guy who's been monitoring their slow progress through the scope on his bolt-action hunting rifle.
He begins firing rounds at the startled quartet, who appear to be annoyed more than terrorized by the attack. Doff never confirms if “The Duke” (executive producer Eddie Izzard in a Leatherface skin mask and tartan kilt) sadistically toys with the boys or possesses the pathetic marksmanship skills of henchmen in a 007 movie.
His partner “The Duchess” (Georgie Glen, donning a Leatherette mask of her own) joins him in a classic “The Most Dangerous Game” hunt that eventually devolves into pell-mell nuttiness unafraid to go full-tilt silly.
Be warned that it takes a while for “Get Duked!” to find its highlands footing. The initially underpowered screenplay screams for funnier, more clever dialogue and a stronger sense of danger. The welcome onslaught of narrative mayhem kicks in during the second half.
No surprise that “Get Duked!” brings little class to class warfare, brought into the open when the Duke confronts his youthful quarry.
“Your generation!” he snaps. “You're always complaining! You are the victim!”
This from an aristocratic murderer who views his human hunts as a way to keep the rolling Scottish Highlands for the people who deserve it.
Like himself.
Izzard imbues the Duke with Malcolm McDowell villainy while the young actors in this odd ensemble acquit themselves nicely, although their quickly delivered Scottish brogues, at least through my computer downloaded press screener, could have benefited from occasional subtitles.
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Starring: Eddie Izzard, Samuel Bottomley, Viraj Juneja, Rian Gordon, Lewis Gribben
Directed by: Ninian Doff
Other: An Amazon Studios release. On Amazon Prime. Rated R for language, sexual references, violence. 86 minutes