Count me in as someone that approves of Christopher Nolan, a man known for his self-seriousness, being a fan of the hilariously dumb 2010 comedy “MacGruber." Nolan recently told Business Insider“ I’ve been outed in the past as a ‘MacGruber‘ fan and I have to say there are a couple of moments in that film that had [me] howling uncontrollably.”
Nolan mentioning that he was “outed” as a fan of the movie stems from Anne Hathaway mentioning Nolan’s silly penchant for randomly quoting “MacGruber” lines on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises"
According to Vanity Fair, Nolan even sent an email to the cast and crew of NBC’s upcoming “MacGruber” TV series, the email read: “Though I can’t be there in person to watch you take the first step of your odyssey—know that my spirit soars with you, and whilst it’s perhaps unfair to add to the great sense of responsibility you must already feel, I am duty-bound to tell you—the world is waiting, the world is watching.”
When asked which “MacGruber” scenes, in particular, tickle his fancy, Nolan responded by saying “[Laughs] I’m not going to go any further!” Because, well, most of the laughs in "MacGruber" come from political incorrectness. They leave you with an uneasy feeling of "Why am I laughing uncontrollably at this?"
Based on an SNL skit, “MacGruber” used cheap special effects and self-referential comedy in its attempt to construct a half-assed plot, all for the sake of making us laugh hysterically. Directed by Jorma Taccone, the title character (played by Will Forte) is a bumbling action hero that is convinced he’s an almighty heroic figure ala MacGyver.
I am not a big fan of SNL movies (safe for “Wayne’s World”), but "MacGruber" was one of the funniest comedies of the 2010s, and that scene where Forte’s “MacGruber” recruits a team of muscle and brawn to fight against the villainous Dieter Von Cunth (Val Kilmer) only to see them killed off in a surprising van explosion, had me howling in relentless laughter.