The Forgotten Star-Studded Comedy You Can Stream On Amazon
Comedy, as a genre, isn't known for aging well. Something hilarious to one generation may come across as cringe-worthy to the next. After all, slipping on a banana peel used to be revolutionary, but today, it comes across as cliche because it's been done so many times. New set-ups with clever punchlines are necessary to keep audiences laughing, but every so often, you come across a gem that's managed to hold up many years after its release.
2021 marks the 20th anniversary of the cult comic classic — "Rat Race." In fact, it debuted in theaters on August 17, 2001, so now's the perfect opportunity to revisit one of the funniest movies of that year. The all-star cast still impresses with Seth Green, John Cleese, Amy Smart, Jon Lovitz, Whoopi Goldberg, Rowan Atkinson, and so many others. Whether you saw it back in the day or want to check it out for the first time, you can rent or buy it for just a few dollars on Amazon Prime. It's also available for free to all HBO Max subscribers, so you have no excuse to avoid watching this cult classic any longer.
Rat Race is a vulgar, comedic treat
The comedy, which draws inspiration from "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," follows six teams of drivers. They've all received the task of driving 563 miles from Las Vegas, Nevada to Silver City, New Mexico, where the first one there will retrieve $2 million. What transpires is a wacky racing romp where each team tries to come up with a competitive edge. And as is the case with any early 2000s comedy, everyone dances to "All Star" by Smash Mouth in the finale.
"Rat Race" is the perfect movie when you just want to shut off your brain for 110 minutes and laugh at some of the dumbest yet most brilliant humor the time period had to offer. That's basically the takeaway from Debbie Lynn Elias' review in Behind the Lens: "You'll laugh. You'll laugh so hard you cry. You'll hold [your] sides from laughter. And then, you'll laugh some more. And after you've seen it once, you'll 'race' back to the theater and see it twice just to make sure you get ALL of the jokes."
There's a lot to love with this movie, and even if you have to spend a few bucks to check it out, it's well worth the investment. It's instantly quotable, and many of the gags still hold up. Just be careful; once you watch it, you'll feel disappointed we still don't have "Rat Race 2."