Delivery Boy Chronicles is a movie from a different era. I can only imagine that the creators (obviously steeped in the mystique of Kevin Smith) felt they had a really funny, original story on their hands. They also probably thought that having a has-been singer (Shawn Mullins of 1998’s gruesome single “Lullaby”) would help their cause.
Ha, Ha, Ha: the return of the ’90s
Delivery Boy Chronicles is a movie from a different era. I can only imagine that the creators (obviously steeped in the mystique of Kevin Smith) felt they had a really funny, original story on their hands. They also probably thought that having a has-been singer (Shawn Mullins of 1998’s gruesome single “Lullaby”) would help their cause.
People think stupid things sometimes.
The film chronicles (heh) the story of food delivery dudes in the greater Atlanta area who like to smoke weed. The main narrative focus is on Mike, a fat guy in his mid-20s, who after graduating college found himself working as a delivery boy. Mike is a businessman with an entrepreneurial spirit that drives him to make one failed invention after another. But Mike is also an optimist who knows his big moneymaking scheme will eventually pan out. He is a relatable character who is sometimes humorous but self-deprecating.
The other characters revolve around the same plot. They are all delivery people and they all suffer from existential angst brought on by their measly job and lousy lives. They also love to smoke weed (this connection isn’t explored).
Maybe you recognize this dilemma? Oh, yeah. Clerks mined this fertile land a long time ago. Many people hate their jobs, and all of those people complain about it. Combine this with the fact most people aren’t funny, and the outcome is a film like Delivery Boy Chronicles. This isn’t to say there is zero to laugh about in the film. The opening scene where a man dressed as Joe Camel tells Mike that his life sucks is genuinely hilarious, if for nothing else than the absurdity of a man dressed as a camel with a superiority complex. Overall, the script, jokes and acting have a very amateurish quality to them (fitting to the low-budget nature of the film).
The only surprise in Delivery Boy Chronicles is the unassuming production values. While the lighting is a little off in places, the camera-work is actually decent and completely innocuous. The end result of the combined effort in acting, scripting and cinematography form a mediocre whole.
I hesitate to call this movie completely worthless, because there are some redeeming qualities. But, really, it seems like a wasted effort on the part of all involved. Like so much “artistic” production these days, it seems like the producers of this movie don’t realize what happens when you release a derivative product into an oversaturated market. You fail, and Delivery Boy Chronicles does just that.
