“Oh. Yeah. You blend.”

Justin’s rating: Objection! This movie is guilty of stealing my heart!

Justin’s review: How does a Mutant Reviewer handle a nonstop tour of bizarre, awful, and non-traditional film experiences? At least for me, every so often I need a mental reset by indulging in a more traditional movie that I know is going to be enjoyable all the way through. So for this week’s reboot, I decided to revisit a classic that I haven’t seen in at least two decades, if not more.

Reminding us that he had a life after Karate Kid Part III, Ralph Macchio and his New Jersey accent is heading through Alabama with a friend on his way to college. An unfortunate stop at a convenience store ends up getting the both of them arrested on a murder charge and in deep need of an amazing, pedigreed defense lawyer.

That, they don’t have. But Ralph’s got a cousin named Vinny (Joe Pesci) who technically checks the box of being a lawyer, even if he hasn’t been in a courtroom. Or practicing more than six weeks. So Vinny and his snarky girlfriend Lisa (Marisa Tomei) bring all of their loud-mouthed Italian-Americanness (not to mention their outlandish wardrobe) to the deep South on a rescue mission.

While the culture clash is undoubtedly mined for as much material as possible, the reason why My Cousin Vinny became a surprise smash hit went far beyond that. Pesci and Tomei make for an amazing comedy duo (Tomei famously won an Oscar for her role here), dropping quote bombs left and right as they bicker and love and support each other.

But beyond that, this film actually created one of the better courtroom films of the decade. Don’t take it from just me; a whole lot of people laud all sorts of praise for how the trial is handled (especially as Vinny is learning the ropes as he goes). The movie even went all-in on the judge as a full character of his own, stern and unbending.

So culture clash + hilarious characters + well-constructed courtroom drama. That makes this a cut above its contemporaries.

At two hours, My Cousin Vinny is a little longer than I had remembered, but it’s not a boring two hours. Really, my only criticism — and it’s a small one — is that the scenes only with the college kids aren’t nearly as funny. It’s not their story, and the less they’re in this, the better. Sorry, Daniel-san.

This is, however, a powerhouse performance for Joe Pesci, who rises above the obvious stereotype to be a dogged arguer, a keen observer, and a guy who’s in over his head — yet is brave enough to rise to the challenge. Between learning the ins and outs of courtroom procedure, clashing with the judge, dealing with a local bully, and trying (usually unsuccessfully) to get a good night’s sleep, Vinny develops wonderfully and goes from a goofy shuckster to a guy we genuinely want to see win.

Coming back to My Cousin Vinny, I was hoping for some light, fluffy entertainment. What I got — what I rediscovered — was a genuine crowd-pleaser with a lot of laughs and great characters that rise above mere stereotypes. Nothing about this is mean, there are no real bad guys, the legal drama is engaging, and Marisa Tomei has a smile to melt hearts. It was a blast to watch.

Intermission!

• That’s a really messy convertible back seat
• TUNA THIEF
• Apparently the cops don’t have to tell you why they’re arresting you
• This sheriff loves his Dutch angles
• Early ’90s rap is something else!
• “Oh. Yeah. You blend.”
• I love that Mona goes all tourist with her camera
• “You’re famous for your mud? How’s your Chinese food?”
• I like that menu: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner. Simple.
• “You never heard of grits?”
• “I routinely twist the maximum allowable torquage.”
• “You were SERIOUS about that?”
• All of the wake-up calls, it’s a good running gag
• Vinny’s speech about how he got into law was kind of wholesome
• Mona’s deer speech is legendary… as is the biological clock speech
• Owls are terrifying
• That is certainly a suit: “I wore this ridiculous thing… for you.” “Are you on drugs?”
• A sequel was discussed where Vinny went to Britain to handle a case, but it never came to be. However, there was a string of novels set in the Vinnyverse (is that a thing?) that do pick up the story.