The Deadly Ponies Gang
Director: Zoe McIntosh
Cast: Clint Rarm, Dwanyne Sisson, Kody Rowe, Sophie Musgrove, The Rhymestone Cowboy
Rating: (R13)
Three and a half stars (out of five)
For most of the duration of The Deadly Ponies Gang (Rialto) I was cynically thinking ''more like a one-trick pony'' because the film's one gag is wannabe gangsters who ride horses that they accessorise as if they were a combination car-girlfriend.
The gang has two members, Clint (Clint Rarm) and Dwanyne (Dwanyne Sisson). All they seem to do is hang out and talk rubbish and they are either absurdly funny or funny because they are absurd.
The movie is shaped as a documentary but Clint and Dwanyne seem too good to be true. Are there really two guys out there in West Auckland riding blinged-out ponies because they pull the chicks and are cheaper than cars?
In the end the credits show the film is sort of half true as Clint and director Zoe McIntosh are given a devised and written by credit which implies a degree of planning.
Still, when our screens are crammed with people play-acting extreme versions of themselves in the name of reality, Clint and Dwanyne are comfortable in their Pony Gang personas and, more importantly, they are genuinely entertaining.
This is a short film in which not a lot happens. The main dramatic arc is getting Dwanyne some teeth, which they achieve with almost no drama. But at the end when Dwanyne smiles his new toothy grin I found I was smiling too.
Best thing: Clint and Dwanyne have the makings of a classic Kiwi double-act. Someone should set them up on a podcast.
Worst thing: There needs to be a clearer indication that these are real people. I wasted a lot of time trying to work it out instead of just enjoying it.
See it with: Your ears pricked up for Clint's magical way with words. Malaprop could well be his middle name.
