Good Burger
Encyclopedia
Good Burger is a 1997 American comedy film by Tollin/Robbins Productions
and Nickelodeon Movies
, released by Paramount Pictures
, directed by Brian Robbins
, and starring Kenan Thompson
and Kel Mitchell
. It was based on the comedy sketch "Good Burger" (starring Mitchell) featured on the Nickelodeon
series All That
.
), steals his mother's car while she is on a business trip and accidentally crashes into and damages the car of his teacher, Mr. Wheat (Sinbad
). Dexter is in danger of going to jail, as he does not have a driver's license
or insurance
. But Mr. Wheat agrees to let Dexter pay for the damages to both cars in exchange for not calling the police on Dexter. After determining that the damages will total $2,500, Dexter is forced to get a summer job. He winds up finding employment at Good Burger where he meets and reluctantly befriends dim witted Ed (Kel Mitchell
) and a host of other colorful employees. At the time neither one of them realize it was in fact Ed who inadvertently caused Dexter's car accident.
While it seems that Dexter is on his way to repaying the money he owes, things take a turn for the worse. Across the street from Good Burger, a large fancy burger joint called Mondo Burger is about to open up, where Dexter originally found employment before Good Burger, but was fired for insulting Mondo Burger's manager, Kurt Bozwell (Jan Schweiterman
). It appears that the opening of the hugely popular Mondo Burger may very well spell the end for small time Good Burger because of the over-sized burgers they produce. Fortunately, Good Burger is saved by the invention of a secret sauce made by Ed. Dexter, having realized Ed was responsible for his car accident, takes advantage of the good-hearted yet dim witted Ed in order to make money off of the secret sauce in order to pay off his debt sooner.
All seems well as Ed's sauce is a huge success. However, Mondo Burger's manager, Kurt Bozwell, makes some failed attempts to obtain the sauce. Kurt first tries to persuade Ed to quit Good Burger to work at Mondo Burger with a higher hourly wage. When Ed turns him down, Kurt sends in Roxanne (Carmen Electra
) to seduce Ed alone in order to find out the recipe for Ed's sauce, but to no avail as Ed injures her. Later, Ed and Dexter suspect something's up with Mondo Burger and disguise themselves as old women, to find out that Mondo Burger chemically induces their burgers with "Triampathol", which is apparently an illegal food additive; Kurt kidnaps them and has them committed to a mental hospital so they won't tell the public.
Threatened by the success of Ed's sauce, Kurt breaks into Good Burger after closing hours and poisons Ed's secret sauce with shark poison. When Ed and Dexter's co-worker, Otis (Abe Vigoda
), tries to stop him, he is committed too. He tells the duo about Kurt's scheme, so they have to plan an escape. The next morning, with the help of Ed doing a dance number and encouraging other patients to dance, the trio escapes the mental hospital via broken windows and they use an ice cream
van to drive them back to Good Burger to prevent any customer from eating the poisoned sauce. Ed and Dexter then break into Mondo Burger to expose their chemically induced burgers to the police. Dexter creates a diversion, to which Ed tries to take a can of Triampathol, but clumsingly knocks one into the meat grinder. With an idea, Ed then pours some more of the substance into the grinder. Just before Kurt can do away with Ed and Dexter, the Mondo Burger building starts to rumble in destruction due to the now ridiculously gigantic burgers that have been exploding (of Triampathol overdose). In the aftermath, Kurt is arrested for using the illegal substance and Mondo Burger is destroyed, the debris crushing and destroying Mr. Wheat's car as well. Ed and Dexter then walk back to Good Burger where they both (especially Ed) are praised by the other Good Burger employees as heroes for saving Good Burger.
. The building known as "Good Burger" in the movie was filmed at a restaurant currently known as "Manny's El Loco" 437 Glendora Ave., West Covina, CA. Meanwhile, Mondo Burger was located across the street at the Samantha Courtyard shopping center, with extra details added to the facade for the film. The AMC Pacer
used as the "Burger Mobile" in the film is now a broken down car with the top "Good Burger" Logo damaged with only the "G" "E" and "R" still standing (Other letters flattened) the red arrow on the passenger side now is fallen off, and the burger is now faded. It still stands today; in an abandoned lot in Daytona Beach, Florida.
. It peaked at 101 on the Billboard 200
and 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
.
, Ed was one of the only featured employees of Good Burger. While occasionally other employees were shown, they were not featured characters. The other cast members of All That played recurring patrons of Good Burger who Ed annoyed with his bumbling antics and misinterpretations of their orders. The employees featured in the movie were created specifically for the film. However, on the season three premiere of All That
two characters from the movie were in the Good Burger skit on the premiere episode was Ron Lester as "Spatch" and Josh Server as "Fizz".
. The film however does have a cult following.
on December 8, 2007. Before it was shown, TV-PG replaced to TV-G, Nickelodeon had two of the actors record over what they said in the previous film to censor it for kids. The first censor is when Otis says "I think I broke my ass". Nickelodeon censored
it so he said "I think I broke my tail". The other is when the man in the mental institution (played by George Clinton
) says "Ooh, this music sucks", which was censored to "Ooh, this music stinks". The actors' lips almost clearly show the original lines, and closed captioning will reveal the original lines. Subsequent showings, such as the January 17, 2010 and ABC Family
showings, have also been censored in the same fashion (although the "music sucks" line remained).
Tollin/Robbins Productions
Tollin/Robbins Productions is an American movie and television production company operated by Mike Tollin and Brian Robbins, the latter probably best known for his role as Eric Mardian in the 1980s TV series Head of the Class...
and Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies is the motion picture production arm of children's cable channel Nickelodeon, originally launched in 1995. Its first film was Harriet the Spy. It has produced films based on Nickelodeon programs, as well as other adaptations and original projects...
, released by Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
, directed by Brian Robbins
Brian Robbins
Brian Robbins is an American actor and producer, director and screenwriter. He often collaborates with Mike Tollin.-Biography:...
, and starring Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...
and Kel Mitchell
Kel Mitchell
Kel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,...
. It was based on the comedy sketch "Good Burger" (starring Mitchell) featured on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon is a US cable TV channel.Nickelodeon may also refer to:-In television:*Spinoffs of the Nickelodeon channel:** Nickelodeon Magazine, a children's magazine.** Nickelodeon Universe, an amusement park....
series All That
All That
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC...
.
Plot
On the first day of summer, a slacking high school student, Dexter (Kenan ThompsonKenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...
), steals his mother's car while she is on a business trip and accidentally crashes into and damages the car of his teacher, Mr. Wheat (Sinbad
Sinbad (entertainer)
David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,...
). Dexter is in danger of going to jail, as he does not have a driver's license
Driver's license
A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...
or insurance
Vehicle insurance
Vehicle insurance is insurance purchased for cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other road vehicles. Its primary use is to provide financial protection against physical damage and/or bodily injury resulting from traffic collisions and against liability that could also arise therefrom...
. But Mr. Wheat agrees to let Dexter pay for the damages to both cars in exchange for not calling the police on Dexter. After determining that the damages will total $2,500, Dexter is forced to get a summer job. He winds up finding employment at Good Burger where he meets and reluctantly befriends dim witted Ed (Kel Mitchell
Kel Mitchell
Kel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,...
) and a host of other colorful employees. At the time neither one of them realize it was in fact Ed who inadvertently caused Dexter's car accident.
While it seems that Dexter is on his way to repaying the money he owes, things take a turn for the worse. Across the street from Good Burger, a large fancy burger joint called Mondo Burger is about to open up, where Dexter originally found employment before Good Burger, but was fired for insulting Mondo Burger's manager, Kurt Bozwell (Jan Schweiterman
Jan Schweiterman
Jan Schweiterman is an American actor who has appeared in several movies including Good Burger and Warlock III.-Filmography:* The Haven .... Michael Braga* American Intellectuals .... Cooper...
). It appears that the opening of the hugely popular Mondo Burger may very well spell the end for small time Good Burger because of the over-sized burgers they produce. Fortunately, Good Burger is saved by the invention of a secret sauce made by Ed. Dexter, having realized Ed was responsible for his car accident, takes advantage of the good-hearted yet dim witted Ed in order to make money off of the secret sauce in order to pay off his debt sooner.
All seems well as Ed's sauce is a huge success. However, Mondo Burger's manager, Kurt Bozwell, makes some failed attempts to obtain the sauce. Kurt first tries to persuade Ed to quit Good Burger to work at Mondo Burger with a higher hourly wage. When Ed turns him down, Kurt sends in Roxanne (Carmen Electra
Carmen Electra
Tara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
) to seduce Ed alone in order to find out the recipe for Ed's sauce, but to no avail as Ed injures her. Later, Ed and Dexter suspect something's up with Mondo Burger and disguise themselves as old women, to find out that Mondo Burger chemically induces their burgers with "Triampathol", which is apparently an illegal food additive; Kurt kidnaps them and has them committed to a mental hospital so they won't tell the public.
Threatened by the success of Ed's sauce, Kurt breaks into Good Burger after closing hours and poisons Ed's secret sauce with shark poison. When Ed and Dexter's co-worker, Otis (Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to...
), tries to stop him, he is committed too. He tells the duo about Kurt's scheme, so they have to plan an escape. The next morning, with the help of Ed doing a dance number and encouraging other patients to dance, the trio escapes the mental hospital via broken windows and they use an ice cream
Ice cream
Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, and often combined with fruits or other ingredients and flavours. Most varieties contain sugar, although some are made with other sweeteners...
van to drive them back to Good Burger to prevent any customer from eating the poisoned sauce. Ed and Dexter then break into Mondo Burger to expose their chemically induced burgers to the police. Dexter creates a diversion, to which Ed tries to take a can of Triampathol, but clumsingly knocks one into the meat grinder. With an idea, Ed then pours some more of the substance into the grinder. Just before Kurt can do away with Ed and Dexter, the Mondo Burger building starts to rumble in destruction due to the now ridiculously gigantic burgers that have been exploding (of Triampathol overdose). In the aftermath, Kurt is arrested for using the illegal substance and Mondo Burger is destroyed, the debris crushing and destroying Mr. Wheat's car as well. Ed and Dexter then walk back to Good Burger where they both (especially Ed) are praised by the other Good Burger employees as heroes for saving Good Burger.
Cast
- Kenan ThompsonKenan ThompsonKenan Thompson is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his work as a cast member of NBC's long-running sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live...
as Dexter Reed - Kel MitchellKel MitchellKel Johari Mitchell is an American actor, comedian, singer, rapper, screenwriter, producer, parodist, dancer and musician. He was best known for his work as a regular cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, his portrayal of Kel Kimble on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel,...
as Ed - SinbadSinbad (entertainer)David Adkins better known by his professional name of Sinbad, is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He became well known in the 1990s from being featured on his own HBO specials, appearing on several television series, and starring in the films Necessary Roughness, Houseguest, First Kid,...
as Mr. Wheat - Abe VigodaAbe VigodaAbe Vigoda is an American movie and television actor. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather, and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975–1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to...
as Otis - Shar JacksonShar JacksonSharisse "Shar" Jackson is an American television and film actress, reality television personality and rapper/singer best known for her portrayal of Niecy Jackson on the UPN show Moesha.-Early life and career:...
as Monique - Dan SchneiderDan Schneider (TV producer)Daniel James "Dan" Schneider is an American songwriter, actor, writer, and producer of films and television. He is the co-president of his own production company called Schneider's Bakery....
as Mr. Bailey - Ron LesterRon LesterRon Lester is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the films Varsity Blues, and Not Another Teen Movie, and the TV show Popular.-Background:...
as Spatch - Jan SchweitermanJan SchweitermanJan Schweiterman is an American actor who has appeared in several movies including Good Burger and Warlock III.-Filmography:* The Haven .... Michael Braga* American Intellectuals .... Cooper...
as Kurt Bozwell - Josh ServerJosh ServerJoshua Aaron "Josh" Server is an American actor and comedian, best known for being the only All That cast member to remain through the entire original 6 seasons.-Acting career:...
as Fizz - Linda CardelliniLinda CardelliniLinda Edna Cardellini is an American television and film actress. She is best known for her roles as high school student Lindsay Weir on Freaks and Geeks, as Velma Dinkley in the live-action Scooby-Doo films, and as Samantha Taggart on ER.- Early life :Cardellini was born in Redwood City,...
as Heather - Shaquille O'NealShaquille O'NealShaquille Rashaun O'Neal , nicknamed "Shaq" , is a former American professional basketball player. Standing tall and weighing , he was one of the heaviest players ever to play in the NBA...
as Himself - George ClintonGeorge Clinton (musician)George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
as Demented Hills Patient - Robert WuhlRobert Wuhl-Early life:Wuhl was born in Union, New Jersey to a Jewish family, including a father who worked as a produce distributor. After attending Union High School, Wuhl headed to the University of Houston, where he was active in the drama department and the Epsilon-Omicron Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon...
as Angry Customer - Carmen ElectraCarmen ElectraTara Leigh Patrick , professionally known as Carmen Electra, is an American glamour model, actress, television personality, singer, and dancer...
as Roxanne - Marques HoustonMarques HoustonMarques Barrett Houston is an American R&B singer, songwriter, rapper, and actor. A member of the R&B singing group Immature/IMx until 2002, he went solo in 2003. He is also the cousin of J-Boog, former member of the R&B/Hip-Hop group B2K....
as Jake - J. August RichardsJ. August RichardsJaime Augusto Richards III is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his portrayal of vampire hunter Charles Gunn on the WB cult television series Angel.-Early life and education:...
as Griffen - Lori Beth DenbergLori Beth DenbergLori Beth Denberg is an American actress and comedian. She is best known for her work as an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series All That, and for her role as Lydia Liza Gutman on The WB sitcom The Steve Harvey Show.-Acting background:Denberg began acting in community...
as Connie Muldoon - Wendy WorthingtonWendy WorthingtonWendy Worthington is an American television and film actress. She has had recurring roles in television series such as Ghost Whisperer, Desperate Housewives, Ally McBeal, and So Little Time. In April 2006, She played Helga where Arnaz sneaks off to Breanna in the episode "California Girl" on...
as Demented Hills Nurse - Colt Buehner as Demented Hills Patient Dr. Doom
Filming
Most of the film's scenes were filmed along S Glendora Avenue in West Covina, CaliforniaWest Covina, California
West Covina is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. Located some east of Downtown Los Angeles in the eastern San Gabriel Valley, it is a mostly middle class suburb of Los Angeles...
. The building known as "Good Burger" in the movie was filmed at a restaurant currently known as "Manny's El Loco" 437 Glendora Ave., West Covina, CA. Meanwhile, Mondo Burger was located across the street at the Samantha Courtyard shopping center, with extra details added to the facade for the film. The AMC Pacer
AMC Pacer
The AMC Pacer is a two-door compact automobile produced in the United States by the American Motors Corporation between 1975 and 1980.Its initial design idea was started in 1971. The car's unusual rounded shape with massive glass area greatly contrasted with the three-box architecture with "square,...
used as the "Burger Mobile" in the film is now a broken down car with the top "Good Burger" Logo damaged with only the "G" "E" and "R" still standing (Other letters flattened) the red arrow on the passenger side now is fallen off, and the burger is now faded. It still stands today; in an abandoned lot in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Soundtrack
A soundtrack containing hip hop, R&B and rock music was released on July 15, 1997 by Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. It peaked at 101 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
and 65 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
.
Differences from original sketch
In the original Good Burger sketch as featured on Nickelodeon's All ThatAll That
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC...
, Ed was one of the only featured employees of Good Burger. While occasionally other employees were shown, they were not featured characters. The other cast members of All That played recurring patrons of Good Burger who Ed annoyed with his bumbling antics and misinterpretations of their orders. The employees featured in the movie were created specifically for the film. However, on the season three premiere of All That
All That
All That is an American live-action, sketch comedy-variety show that aired on the Nickelodeon cable television network featuring short comedic sketches and weekly musical guests. The theme song for All That was performed by TLC...
two characters from the movie were in the Good Burger skit on the premiere episode was Ron Lester as "Spatch" and Josh Server as "Fizz".
Critical reception
Despite the popularity of the All That sketch Good Burger and the Ed character, Good Burger received largely negative reviews from film critics (only a few were positive), garnering a "Rotten" rating of 31% on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
. The film however does have a cult following.
Deleted scenes
- A scene that was not included in the release, but made it into the trailers included a customer saying to Ed, "Give me a good shake," and Ed subsequently grabbing and shaking him.
- A deleted scene that Kel Mitchell wanted to put in the film was one in which Dexter says to Ed "Excuse me a second," and Ed waits literally one second before following Dexter, but director Brian Robbins vetoed the idea.
- The head-butting scene was removed by the BBFC for the UK video release, even though in the cinema release the scene was uncut.
Censorship
Nickelodeon revived Good Burger and showed it on Nick@NiteNick at Nite
Nick at Nite is the nighttime Cable network that broadcasts over the channel space of Nickelodeon on Sundays from 8.p.m.-7.am., Monday through Fridays from 9 p.m.-7 a.m. and Saturdays from 10 p.m.-6 a.m. . Though it shares channel space with Nickelodeon, A.C. Nielsen Co...
on December 8, 2007. Before it was shown, TV-PG replaced to TV-G, Nickelodeon had two of the actors record over what they said in the previous film to censor it for kids. The first censor is when Otis says "I think I broke my ass". Nickelodeon censored
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
it so he said "I think I broke my tail". The other is when the man in the mental institution (played by George Clinton
George Clinton (musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
) says "Ooh, this music sucks", which was censored to "Ooh, this music stinks". The actors' lips almost clearly show the original lines, and closed captioning will reveal the original lines. Subsequent showings, such as the January 17, 2010 and ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
showings, have also been censored in the same fashion (although the "music sucks" line remained).