The latest cinematic offering to baffle and delight audiences is the off-kilter adventure starring the mismatched duo, Pim and Charlie. What begins as a classic hero-saves-the-day narrative quickly spirals into a tale of desperate vanity, questionable moral choices, and a surprising turn toward over-the-counter pharmaceuticals.
The adventure kicks off with Pim and Charlie answering a call for help from the Shmaloogles, a kingdom of creatures so relentlessly happy they seem impervious to real distress. Charlie, the more cynical and sensible of the two, immediately attempts to bail, sensing the inherent absurdity of the situation. Unfortunately for him, fate intervenes with slapstick swiftness: as Charlie is making his retreat, both Pim and a random Shmaloogle are snatched up by the story’s antagonist, a mysterious Wizard.
I don’t know if the producers of Smiling Friends meant for this to happen, but this week’s episode is a love-letter to New Jersey. From the numerous references to Clerks to the show ending up at a Wawa, these guys sure know how to make fans from NJ warm and fuzzy. Add in the fact that the direction from Yong-Taek Choi, Sang-Taek Oh, Hyun Soo Park & Jong Wan Ryu was quite simply a breathtaking achievement especially during the final battle, Smiling Friends made a smiler out of me.