Best in Show

Solid comedy with some great improv. Some jokes don't quite hold up but it's still full of belly laughs.

Christopher Guest and his regular cast of improv legends tackle another unsuspecting target in this wild-eyed send up of the competitive dog show circuit. It's a bit more all-audiences than Spinal Tap, while completely skipping the emotional hooks of A Mighty Wind or Waiting For Guffman, but still delivers enough legit snickers to validate a simple retirement as late-night cable network filler. The straight-ahead plot never shows much interest in progressing beyond simple character-driven adventure, and while each member of the cast is good for a smart punchline or two, the roles themselves are universally shallow, narrow caricatures. Fine as a background flick, thrown on to fill the air when your focus will be frequently elsewhere, it will never quite reach the same level as its siblings.