Rating: Unrated
Starring:
Dax Shepard as John Lyshitski
Will Arnett as Nelson Biederman IV
Chi McBride as Barry
David Koechner as Shanahan
Dylan Baker as Warden
Michael Shannon as Lynard
Miguel Nino as Jesus
Jay Whittaker as Icepick
Amy Hill as Judge Eva Fwae Wun
David Darlow as Judge Biederman
Joseph Marcus as Pawn Broker
Special Features:
Deleted Scenes
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
French and Spanish Languge
French and Spanish Subtitles
Running Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the DVD cover:
“Welcome to the slammer in this no-holds-barred, outrageous comedy! When white-collar Nelson Biederman IV (Will Arnett) winds up in the state pen with mischievous cellmate John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard), all hell breaks loose. From toilet wine to big-house beatdowns, it’s a side-splitting comedy that could only happen in the clink!”
“Let’s Go to Prison – Unrated” is unrated (duh). The theatrical version was rated R for language, sexual content, some violence and drug material.
Mini-Review:
“Let’s Go to Prison” starts out promising enough. The idea of John Lyshitski trying to set up Nelson Biederman IV to be thrown into jail is pretty funny. Will Arnett is egotistical and mean enough that you want to see him go through hell. Dax Shepard is witty and funny enough that you cheer him on. But when he finally gets to jail you’re subjected to all the usual jail clichés. Jokes about Nelson being raped by Chi McBride as Barry go on and on. It gets a bit tiresome. Things do take a surprising turn when Nelson inadvertently ends up being the top dog in the prison and John’s plans get turned upside down, but not much time is spent on that. The film concludes with an ending that isn’t great but isn’t entirely satisfying either. (I won’t spoil it here.)
If you like crude comedies or if you’re a fan of Will Arnett from “Arrested Development,” then you’ll probably want to check out “Let’s Go to Prison.” It’s not a great comedy, but it does offer up a few good laughs. I think it also showcases Dax Shepard as a good comedic talent worth seeing in other films.
This DVD features both the original R-rated version and an unrated version. I’m not sure what’s different between the two, but I didn’t see anything that would require it to be “unrated”. There’s an alternate ending that shows a bit more animosity between John and Nelson. The theatrical version ends up being a bit funnier. There are also two deleted scenes. One shows more of Nelson in court and the other is equally insignificant.
