Review: ‘Screamboat’ triumphantly sets sail

Writer/director Steven LaMorte steals the spotlight with his Steamboat Willie horror adaptation. The mousy, IP-exploiting genre sprouts wings in a handful of knockoffs this year alone, all vying for attention and a chance at critical and public success. LaMorte’s aptly titled Screamboat arrives (severed) heads above its competition—from I Heart Willie to Mouse of Horrors. Where these others are devoid of creativity or visionary impulse, LaMorte shapes a clever reimagining of the 1928 cartoon into a fiercely goofy bloodbath.

Art the Clown’s David Howard Thornton steps into the miniature furry feet, flexing his inventive physical acting into hilarious sight gags. His knack for silly slapstick serves the story well. An exaggerated performance style anchors a film that would otherwise sink without it. When Selena (Allison Pittell), an aspiring designer growing weary of the NYC rat race, boards the late-night Staten Island Ferry, she, along with everyone else on board, must face death reincarnate in a scappy two-foot mouse. Thornton’s Willie spies Selena early in the film and falls head over heels for her—a moment underscored with cartoonish, lovey-dovey music. LaMorte uses various musical cues to tie the wayward boat to comedic land, as bodies stack up in increasingly cool ways.

Screamboat knows exactly what kind of film it is. It’s never taking itself seriously, instead opting for camp in every scene of the word. Terrifier 2‘s Kailey Hyman leads a drunken group of privileged birthday girls, a sampling of characters whose sole purpose is to increase the body count. Willie’s bloodlust can not be satiated in his quest to find his love. With NYC’s gritty streets as the backdrop, the film encourages you to enjoy the ride while it lasts. Expecting it to be anything but what it is is a grave mistake on the viewer’s part. Grab a bucket of popcorn, sit back, and laugh your ass off.

LaMorte and his co-writer Matthew Garcia-Dunn use the Disney property as a launching pad to poke fun at corporate-shilled entertainment. Willie only communicates in cute chirps and whistles, often referencing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and other childhood sing-alongs. This character trait makes every time he’s onscreen a real treat; Thornton takes liberties with these moments to milk ’em for all they’re worth. The film, which features random cameos from the likes of Tyler Posey (yes, him!) and his brother Jesse as side characters, focuses only on one mission: to amuse.

In anyone else’s hands, the premise would seemingly drag on forever, but LaMorte keeps the story well-paced with graphic death set-pieces peppered throughout the 111-minute runtime to keep the audience hooked. While you might anticipate the usual death scenes, the writer/director plays the best cards when you least expect it. The practical effects are top-notch, giving the audience a real treat for tuning in, with many especially kills provoking a nauseated reaction.

Screamboat doesn’t need to be anything more than a piece of entertainment. LaMorte and his team aren’t out here curing cancer but permitting the viewer to escape from reality for a bit. Sometimes, all you need is dumb fun to get you by. This is it.