After an argument at home, a man finds his jaw inexplicably locked up after lashing out at his daughter-in-law. In order to fix the man's jaw, the woman calls on a dentist friend, but once fixed, the words stuck in the old man's mouth coming spewing forward, revealing a harsh truth.
Billed as a micro comedy, “JAW Locked” success rests on the gag of a man with his mouth kept open while stumbling over some harsh words. Unfortunately, this gag falls drastically short of building up any comedic value, with a tepid delivery and an underwhelming conclusion.
Given that the premise fails horribly to incite any humor, it makes the rest of the shortcomings of the production all the more painfully obvious. Aesthetically, the short is an eyesore and an audio nightmare littered with uncomplimentary colors, awkward cuts mid conversation, muffled audio and a grating stock music score. Sadly, none of the basics of filmmaking, or an understanding thereof, is present within the short.
Sadly, there can only be one positive take away from the production, which comes from the actors approach to the material. While showing no sign of acting experience or skill, there is a degree of charm in the obvious enjoyment of the cast in creating the film. Unfortunately, even this glimpse of sincerity does little to save the utter mess of an experience.
“JAW Locked” feels like a short made for friends or family, maybe off an inside joke or story that holds some meaning to its participants. This in turn ensures that anyone not associated with the film, directly or indirectly, will find little to no value within the production.
