Major Payne (1995)

(On TV, January 2020) There’s a profound and unabashed silliness at play in Major Payne, as the film follows a retired super-soldier who ends up commanding high school cadets. This is, like many movies, a character-driven comedy—the titular Major Payne is the most important thing about the film and everything else comes second. Fortunately, Damon Wayans is up to the scrutiny. From less-than obvious choice (such as the surprisingly squeaky voice), he builds a character so incredibly over-the-top that it affects the reality of the film. Yes, it’s a dumb comedy. But it’s perfectly aligned with everything else in the film. As one would expect, there is a bit of sentiment to temper the anarchic comedy—including a rather good scene between a boy and his abusive father that seems to come from another less silly film. The actors do their best to keep up with Wayans, with a special mention to Karyn Parsons as the romantic interest—their first date is one of the film’s highlights. Cartoonish and aimed at kids, Major Payne does have a few good chuckles along the way, and a spectacular comic character at the centre of it.