Everyone is well aware of the ups and downs of actor Charlie
Sheen's life over the past few years. Some love him, some hate him, but for the
most part I think the majority of American's have the same opinion about these
well publicized turmoil's: who cares?
Celebrities seem to garner attention for the worst behavior
possible and people these days seem to think that's cool. It doesn't say much
for us does it?
But Sheen has come back from the wild ways he displayed and
attempted to not only create a new series that he can star in but that can poke
fun at his past behavior at the same time. ANGER MANAGEMENT stars Sheen as
Charlie Goodson, an ex-major league baseball player who in a fit of rage tried
to break a bat over his leg...only to injure himself instead and thus ending
his career. Seeing the light so to speak he in turn became an anger management
therapist with a successful private practice. He still occasionally finds
himself on the verge of anger but seems to catch it most times.
Charlie's main focus is on a group he offers therapy to in
his home. They run the stereotypical range from grumpy old guy to total whack
job girlfriend. While some of these characters have moments that might make you
laugh on the whole they become more cardboard cutouts than actual people you
get to know.
Charlie's character has situations he's chosen to be
involved in here that become focal points of various episodes. For one he's
divorced but still of fairly good grounds with his ex. Well good in the sense
of average sit-com good. Shawnee Smith stars in this role and she's had better
parts but holds up well here. The two share a daughter in her early teens which
makes for some storylines as well. Of course the things Charlie wants for his
daughter and how he wants her to behave are far different from the young girls
he hits on throughout the series.
When he's not attempting to bed a young girl he meets
randomly he's involved with another therapist played by Selma Blair. While the
two are involved in a friends with benefits relationship they agree that for
this to take place they can't become a therapist for each other...which of
course Charlie ends up trying to weasel around when he can.
The series is a hit and miss mixture of old stories we've
seen before with new attempts to push the envelope as far as it can with sexual
taboos. Some episodes are actually hilarious while others just sit there. Never
having thought TWO AND A HALF MEN was the funniest thing ever made I thought this
series was perhaps even a tad below that level of humor. Watching stars on the
tail end of their age bracket and careers involved in sex comedy isn't my cup
of tea.
Actually that part is rather sad when you think about it.
Sheen has acting ability as seen in so many projects he's done in the past.
When he took on the role in his previous series he became a caricature of the
aging lothario whose life was nothing more than a series of women he attempted
to or succeeded in bedding each week. Unfortunately his real life began to
mimic this character rather than be an escape from it and that began to inflict
itself into that show, enough so that he left. In this show he plays almost the
same character with minor differences. It would be nice to see Sheen go back to
fulfill the potential he displayed in films like PLATOON rather than this sort
of knock off series.
On its own perhaps this series can be recommended for a few
episodes and some of the jokes can be funny. The problem is you have to sit
through the rest of it to get to these gems which are few and far between. Sheen
fans who love his off screen antics will fall in love with this character.
Those wanting to see a more mature actor will have to wait.
Click here to order.
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