Fast Food

Finding themselves "not qualified to do anything" after a lengthy college stint, two best friends establish their own fast food joint and spike the secret sauce with a powerful aphrodisiac to promote business in this little-seen comedy that falls halfway between college comedy and food industry satire. Much of the humour is very low-brow and some of the performances (in particular a monotone Don Ferguson as the stern college dean) are downright awful, however, the film offers some food for thought (pun intended) in terms of the hardness of landing a job even with a college degree, as well as the competitive nature of the fast food industry. Jim Varney is delightfully zany as a rival fast food proprietor, and while some of his vocal mannerisms are over-the-top, he has several wacky moments riding toy horses (!) and constantly asking for spare change while maintaining a straight face. Kevin McCarthy (of 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers' fame) comes off best though as a no-nonsense judge in the film's final act. Solid as McCarthy is though, it is hard to deny that the film ends on a low note with a resolution that comes across as a little too swift and easy for credibility; a predictable romance and a smug main character also weigh against the film. Never to mind, there is enough zaniness throughout 'Fast Food' to keep things chugging along, from a makeshift casino to a couple of medical students conducting a bizarre sleep monitoring experiment to Varney's humorously pathetic television commercials. It is best advised though to not go in expecting a hidden gem.