NATIONAL LAMPOON'S BAG BOY — ** — Paul Campbell, Dennis Farina, Marika Dominczyk; rated PG-13 (vulgarity, profanity, violence, brief sex, brief drugs, slurs).
Judd Apatow and company have found a successful comedy formula. Their mix of sweet character comedy and saltier sex humor worked well in such R-rated hits as "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," "Knocked Up" and "Superbad."
However, "National Lampoon's Bag Boy" proves that pulling that feat off is not as easy as it looks.
The PG-13 rated comedy attempts to duplicate Apatow's successful salty-yet-sweet formula. But it doesn't have nearly enough laughs, and the characters aren't nearly as likable or well-defined.
Also, the whole competitive-bagging bit was already done in last year's Dane Cook flop "Employee of the Month."
The story takes place in the fictional Marty's Mighty Mart, a struggling supermarket that's owned by Marty Engstrom (Dennis Farina).
The supposed functional alcoholic Marty has his hands full with several slacker employees, though one of them — Phil Piedmonstein (Paul Campbell) — reminds him a bit of himself.
Phil's bagging skills are good enough and fast enough to win competitions. But it may take someone else to convince Marty and Phil that it's worth their time and efforts.
That person turns out to the store's pretty new checker, Bambi Strasinsky (Marika Dominczyk). She has a score to settle with her ex-boyfriend, champion bagger Clyde "Windmill" Wynorski (Robert Hoffman), and thinks her new beau, Phil, might be the guy for the job.
"Bag Boy," the latest film produced and released by the once-proud National Lampoon organization, was shot and set in Utah. Thankfully, it won't be seen by enough audiences to damage the state's reputation.
Farina and most of the cast emerge from this mediocre comedy unscathed as well, though there is a painfully unfunny subplot about a stoner supermarket employee's romance with a lonely soccer mom. (Brooke Shields slums in this humiliating supporting role.)
"National Lampoon's Bag Boy" is rated PG-13 for vulgar sexual humor and references, scattered profanity, supposedly comic violence (brawling and violent "bagging action"), a brief sex scene, drug references (marijuana), and use of derogatory slurs. Running time: 95 minutes.
E-mail: jeff@desnews.com