Good Burger (1997)

Two dim-witted teenagers are forced to save the fast food restaurant they work at from going out of business, despite a new-and-improved one opening across the street that want to be the "Top Dog" in the fast food industry.

Director:

Brian Robbins

Writers:

Dan Schneider (characters), Kevin Kopelow (characters)

Stars:

Kel Mitchell, Kenan Thompson, Sinbad

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kel Mitchell	...	Ed
Kenan Thompson	...	Dexter Reed
Sinbad	...	Mr. Wheat
Abe Vigoda	...	Otis
Shar Jackson	...	Monique
Dan Schneider	...	Mr. Baily
Jan Schweiterman	...	Kurt Bozwell (as Jan Schwieterman)
Ron Lester	...	Spatch
Josh Server	...	Fizz
Ginny Schreiber	...	Deedee
Linda Cardellini	...	Heather
Shaquille O'Neal	...	Shaquille O'Neal
George Clinton	...	Dancing Crazy
Richard Haje	...	Huge Scary Man
Robert Wuhl	...	Angry Customer

Storyline

Dexter Reed, a high-schooler is forced to get a summer job at a fast food restaurant called Good Burger after causing a car wreck by his school teacher Mr. Wheat. So Dexter must pay off his teacher's car by working very hard at Good Burger. Meanwhile things turned worse when Mondo Burger, a mammoth fast-food chain opens across the street, it looks like Good Burger is soon going to be history for good! Now it is up to Dexter and his new friend Ed the not-so bright cashier to save the day, as they develop a delicious special secret sauce that Ed created brings hundreds of new customers to their door and makes their new competition desperate to steal the recipe and all of their customers.

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Plot Keywords:

afro | fast food clerk | fast food | recipe | business rivalry | 

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Taglines:

A comedy with everything on it.

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Genres:

Comedy | Family

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for language, some comic violence and mild sex-related humor

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point in the film Otis says, "I should've died years ago." This is a reference to the fact that the actor, Abe Vigoda, had been mistakenly reported dead by the press on numerous occasions.

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Goofs

When Ed attacks that elderly lady due to the shark poison in their burgers, a pair of dentures is next to the lady on the ground when the manager drags Ed off of her.

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Quotes

Dexter: I don't even remember what my dad looks like.
Ed: I don't remember what my dad looks like either, but at least I get to see him everyday.

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Crazy Credits

The opening shot of the movie shows a cheeseburger being constructed via stop-motion.

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Alternate Versions

The UK video release was cut by 14 seconds by the BBFC to remove a head-butting scene, despite the cinema release being uncut.

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Connections

Referenced in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

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Soundtracks

That's The Way (It's Goin' Down)
by Keri Lewis and Stokely Williams
Performed and Produced by Mint Condition
Mint Condition performs courtesy of Perspective Records, a PolyGram Company

User Reviews

Good Burger: 7/10

Movies from TV shows almost always never work. It's even worse when a movie is based off of a skit from Saturday Night Live. So it's no wonder people were less than inviting when Good Burger came about, a movie based off of a skit from a kids version of SNL that airs on Nickelodeon. Seeing as I used to be a big fan of All That, I decided to give Good Burger another go-round, to see if its juvenile humor still stood up throughout the years. And it did.

Ed (Kel Mitchell) is a man of indeterminable age who works at a local dining establishment, Good Burger. He's basically a stoner that doesn't use drugs (at least in the movie). When a customer asks for a burger with nothing on it, he just gives him a bun. Ed'd rather play miniature golf then spend time "alone" with Roxanne (Carmen Electra). After crashing his mother's car, Dexter (Kenan Thompson) needs a job, so first he tries the new Mondo Burger, opening across the street from Good Burger. But then he gets a job with Good Burger, and Mondo Burger opens, which threatens to put Good Burger out of business. What are Ed and Dexter to do?

As Leonard Maltin puts it, "Like fast food itself, this film offers no real nourishment, but will appeal to kids just the same." Perhaps the first statement is true, but is there anything wrong with that? Sometimes a brainless, fun time at the movies is all one desires. And although it's based off of a kids show, anyone of any age can enjoy it. Even if its juvenile humor doesn't strike you as particularly hilarious, it's entertaining, and more importantly, its heart is in the right place. Most of the humor isn't mean-spirited, the main character of Ed is just too likeable to do anything mean. In fact, Ed makes the movie. With his wacky brand of living, he's a hilarious character, and a nice guy at that.

So don't let the light-hearted nature of this movie stop you from seeing it. You'll get some laughs out of it, like I did, but you'll find that it's a fun movie. I guarantee it.

My rating: 7/10

Rated PG for language, some comic violence and mild sex-related humor.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 July 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

Good Burger

Filming Locations:

Redondo Beach, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$9,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,058,333, 27 July 1997

Gross USA:

$23,712,993

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$23,712,993

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon Movies, Tollin/Robbins Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1