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Friday, March 1, 2019

Sailing a Toy Boat (Rifftrax Shorts)


Rifftrax Year:  2012
Riffers:  Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy, Bill Corbett

Do you have trouble sailing a toy boat?  Luckily we have a short that's perfectly capable of man-splaining it to you!  Here we have a family relaxing next to a pond with the boy having trouble sailing a little boat, as a narrator drones on and on describing what's happening onscreen.

Just when you think they've covered all the subjects they possibly could for educational short films this little film pops up.  I'm fairly curious about why this short was made and/or what venues they showed it to kids at.  Is it for crafting projects?  If it is, why can't the teachers just teach?  Why do they have to set up a projector to show off seven minutes of two kids and a dog playing with a toy boat?  I mean, I get it.  The laws of physics are something a kid needs to learn, but this educational tool feels like it's not really teaching them much.

"Sailing a Toy Boat..."
"Rated R for graphic nudity."

Sailing a Toy Boat is so brief that there's not much time for our riffers to get a rhythm going, so they just stay silly.  Considering there isn't a lot of subject for them to take in and comment on, this is the right approach.  This short is mostly just slight gags shot fast at a bland nothing of a short, and they maintain a fairly good laugh ratio.  I don't think I was ever not smiling during this, even when I was trying to size up just why the short exists.  It's just seven minutes of a bland family having a personality projected upon them by comedians.  I'll take it.

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