Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties Doesn't Get High

Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties sounds more innocent than it is. This musical mockumentary touches some marvelously adult territory without getting too extreme. More suggestive than shocking, the movie manages to convey a classic tale of musicians getting in over their heads. Yet, it does so with an oddly feel-good charm. The latest offshoot from the hit Canadian comedy franchise Trailer Park Boys, Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties squeezes a few gags out of the fumes its running on.

The film is essentially the tale of Bubbles and the Sh*trockers. From humble origins in the Sunnyvale trailer park to a European tour with Billy Bob Thornton’s band The Boxmasters, they rise to rock ‘n’ roll heights fairly quickly. However, touring turns out to be a bumpy road. Whether or not the band survives is a question best answered by familiar friends called in at the close.

Patrick Roach and Mike Smith as Bubbles and Randy in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media. Shirtless, pot-bellied Randy standing on the roadside with Bubbles beside him as they try to hitch a ride with a cardboard sign reading London. — Patrick Roach and Mike Smith as Bubbles and Randy in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media.

The beginning of Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties features some customary comedy courtesy of the Trailers Park Boys. Fans of the TV series, not to mention its numerous spinoffs and films, will be thrilled to see the band back together, so to speak. Additionally, most of the best jokes happen during this opening act. That’s mainly because there’s plenty of fodder to fire up the humor. Once the touring begins, however, the comedy gets lighter and lighter until it’s barely there.

That’s because the latter portion of Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties is mostly just snippets of concerts at various European stops. The band performs songs that have comical lyrics at times, but overall, it’s on stage then off. Whole tunes aren’t even shown, so it feels like teasers rather than performances.

Some of the issue could be that the songs are easy to not take seriously. One thematic element of the film is the desire by Bubbles to be seen as a sincere musician. The character doesn’t want to be known for gag songs, so the film seems disinclined to really showcase much of his music since it may inspire chuckles. It’s unfortunate since there’s an earnestness to even ridiculous tunes like “Who’s Got Yer Belly?” and “Drinkin’ with the Angels”. Essentially, Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties never trusts the audience to get that the music can go both ways, comical and thoughtful.

Billy Bob Thornton, Mike Smith, and Ronnie Wood as Billy Bob Thornton, Bubbles, and Ronnie Wood in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media. Black and white picture of Bubbles singling with the Rollingstone's own Ronnie Wood and Billy Bob Thornton at the legendary Abby Road studio. — Billy Bob Thornton, Mike Smith, and Ronnie Wood as Billy Bob Thornton, Bubbles, and Ronnie Wood in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media.

Another problem is that Bubbles, as a character, has always been the moral center of the Trailer Park Boys universe. Though he may get caught up in the more outlandish escapades of his amigos, he’s rarely the one to initiate anything ethically questionable. Consequently, Bubbles is disinclined to cause chaos. The closest he gets to starting fires, figuratively speaking, is a series of comedic misunderstandings which rarely result in much except for him getting yelled at by road manager Tom Mayhue played by legendary road manager Tom Mayhue, who’s handled tours for Guns & Roses as well as AC/DC to name a few.

He’s one among many musical cameos which spice up Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties. There’s a bit of fun to be had recognizing iconic individuals. However, little laughs are pulled from these encounters. Mostly it just seems like famous faces idling around until they deliver a line.

This is especially frustrating when it comes to the band. Recognizable Canadian musicians such as Brad Stella of pop country act The Stellas alongside Peter Lesperance, the guitarist from the melodic hard rock band Harem Scarem, fill out the Sh*rockers nicely as instrumentalists. Yet, unless their comedic dialogue ended up on the cutting room floor, they don’t add much to the movie.

Mike Smith as Bubbles in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media. Bubbles in black and white, dressed a country western rock and roll musician, holding a guitar and giving the camera the finger. — Mike Smith as Bubbles in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media.

The result is that Bubbles and his band rarely have many proper interactions. Most of the comedy is derived from him getting flustered over things going awry for one reason or another. It’s then on to the next venue, rinse, and repeat. Gradually, the film starts to feel like an idea for a single tv episode, a one-hour special at best bloated into a two-hour film.

That isn’t to say Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties is a dud. There’re some solid laughs, especially during the film’s beginning. Eventually, familiar faces from the franchise arrive such as Robb Wells and John Paul Tremblay as Ricky and Julian. Randy, played as always by a perpetually shirtless Patrick Roach, is also along for the ride. The issue, though, is that these parts seem to be coasting on reputation rather than outright gags. Fans will easily delight in seeing them up to their old antics, but it’s hard to imagine this serving as the starting point for fresh fanatics.

Director Charlie Lightening does a solid job capturing the various venues, never losing anything to poor lighting. There’s also a delightfully colorful quality to parts of the picture, particularly the live shows. Yet, the simple cinematic tricks that enlivened several music videos—Beady Eye’s “The Roller” comes to mind—are rarely seen. That may be because Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties is confined by the preexisting mockumentary format of Trailer Park Boys and doesn’t really endeavor to be its own thing.

Mike Smith, Robb Wells, and John Paul Tremblay as Bubbles, Ricky, and Julian in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media. Bubbles, Julian, and Ricky sit together in the shack Bubbles calls home, the titular Trailer Park Boys trio. — Mike Smith, Robb Wells, and John Paul Tremblay as Bubbles, Ricky, and Julian in Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties (2024). Courtesy of Strike Media.

It’s an understandable choice but some flair could have enriched a film that isn’t bringing much new to the franchise. Even Bubbles as a successful musician is a ticked off talking point, one acknowledged in the film. He’s already experienced some success with the song “Liquor and Whores” which has been the theme song to too many of my evenings. The problem being that Standing on the Shoulders of Kitties doesn’t seem to know what kind of movie it wants to be.

It starts out as a decent extension of the Trailer Park Boys franchise before turning into a tour flick. However, painted into a corner by a fictional character’s desire to be taken seriously, the comedy band can’t be totally comedic. All in all, this is one for the fans more than a casual observer. Start with season one and maybe by the time you get here, it’ll be funny enough.