The Slammin’ Salmon Synopsis & Review: Plot Summary

🎯 Quick Overview

😅 Plot Summary – Badly Explained

A restaurant owner who’s a former boxer needs to pay back the Yakuza, so he pits his wait staff against each other in a high-stakes sales competition where the loser gets a beatdown and the winner gets…Norah Jones tickets?

🍿 The Slammin’ Salmon: Detailed Plot Synopsis

The Setup: A Restaurant in Crisis

Cleon ‘Slammin’ Salmon’, a former heavyweight boxing champion, now owns a high-end seafood restaurant. He owes $20,000 to the Yakuza and needs to raise the money quickly. He institutes a high-stakes competition among his wait staff to see who can earn the most in a single night. The winner gets a $10,000 prize, while the loser faces a brutal beating.

The Contest Begins: Chaos and Mayhem

The contest quickly descends into chaos as the waiters resort to increasingly desperate and unethical tactics. Strategies include sabotage, bribery, and trying to upsell customers in outrageous ways. The restaurant becomes a battleground of competing agendas and comedic mishaps.

Individual Struggles and Subplots

Each waiter has their own unique challenges. Mia, a ballerina, struggles after a soup-related accident affects her appearance. Nuts, a waiter with multiple personality disorder, forgets to take his medication. Rich, the manager, accidentally swallows a valuable engagement ring.

⚠️ Spoilers and Ending Explained

🎬 Cast & Characters

• Cleon ‘Slammin’ Salmon (Michael Clarke Duncan): The intimidating and eccentric former boxing champion who owns the restaurant and instigates the high-stakes competition.
• Rich (Kevin Heffernan): The restaurant’s hapless manager, trying to keep everything together amidst the chaos and the Champ’s demands.
• Nuts/Zongo (Jay Chandrasekhar): A waiter with multiple personalities and obsessive-compulsive disorder, whose behavior becomes increasingly erratic throughout the night.
• Mia (April Bowlby): A waitress who initially relies on her looks to attract customers, but faces setbacks during the competition.
• Tara (Cobie Smulders): A med student working as a waitress, often serving as the voice of reason amidst the escalating absurdity.
• Donnie (Paul Soter): The new busboy thrust into the competition, desperately trying to avoid the wrath of Slammin’ Salmon.

💬 Memorable Quotes

• Cleon Salmon: “You know what ten grand feels like in your pocket? It feels like a third cock.” – Cleon Salmon delivers this memorable line when motivating his staff with the promise of a $10,000 prize.
• Cleon Salmon: “How do you say ‘motherf***er’ in Spanish?” – Cleon asks the Japanese translator to teach him the Spanish translation for the expletive.
• Nutz: “Zongo likey!” – Nutz exclaims this as his crazed alter ego Zongo after devouring a cat and is enjoying it!

💰Box Office

• Budget: $2 million
• Domestic Gross: $41,587
• Worldwide Gross: $60,421

💥 The Slammin’ Salmon Reviews

Personal Review

Okay, I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for Broken Lizard. The Slammin’ Salmon isn’t their best work, but it’s still a fun, goofy watch. Michael Clarke Duncan’s performance as Cleon Salmon is absolutely hilarious. Seeing the wait staff descend into madness to win the competition always cracks me up, especially Jay Chandrasekhar’s character, Nutz/Zongo. It’s not a cinematic masterpiece, but if you need a laugh, this movie definitely delivers, especially with a bunch of friends and some beers.

• Who would enjoy:
  • “Fans of Broken Lizard’s other films (Super Troopers, Beerfest)”
  • “Viewers who enjoy slapstick and low-brow humor”
  • “People who appreciate ensemble comedies”
• Content warnings ⚠:
  • “Crude humor and profanity”
  • “Suggestive content”
  • “Violence”

Professional Reviews

• IMDb: “If you’re a fan of Broken Lizard’s other films, this movie is sure to impress. It has all their hallmarks: amusing dialogue, hilarious ensemble scenes, wonderful cameo performances, and an incredibly funny blooper reel during the end credits.
• Rotten Tomatoes: “Despite the crazy antics, the movie never has to strain too hard to get its laughs, and even when the jokes clatter to the floor – as they are wont to do from time to time – the cast is always there to pick up the pieces and run with them.
• Film critic: “Good movie for one time viewing. Funny at parts but not hilarious type. Better than average comedy movies. Had potential, could have been better.

Audience Reactions

Michael Clarke Duncan’s performance as Cleon Salmon is the absolute highlight and comedic gold.: Most viewers praise Michael Clarke Duncan’s comedic performance and the film’s consistent laugh-out-loud moments.

The movie offers plenty of quotable lines that will stick with you and your friends.: Fans appreciate the cast’s chemistry and ensemble performances, with the film being compared to classics like “Super Troopers”.

Overall Consensus: A funny but uneven comedy with a standout performance by Michael Clarke Duncan that fans of Broken Lizard will enjoy.

Awards

🛠️ Behind the Scenes

• “The film was shot on a low budget and during the writers’ strike, resulting in a fast-paced, joke-focused style reminiscent of a stage show.”
• “To save money on music rights, the filmmakers wrote their own theme song, “Cry of the Cougar,” after failing to secure the rights to “Eye of the Tiger.””
• “Several of the actors from previous Broken Lizard films make cameo appearances, creating a sense of continuity for fans.”

🖥️ How to Watch The Slammin’ Salmon?

The Slammin’ Salmon is available for purchase or rental on various digital platforms. You can find it on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, and Vudu. Availability may vary depending on your region. Check your preferred streaming service for current options.

🎥 Similar Movies

If you enjoyed The Slammin’ Salmon, you might like these similar films:

• Waiting… (2005): Both movies focus on the comedic chaos and misadventures of restaurant employees.
• Super Troopers (2001): Shares the same comedic style and cast as The Slammin’ Salmon. Offers similar humor but in a police setting.
• Beerfest (2006): Another Broken Lizard film with similar ensemble comedy and absurd situations.
• Office Space (1999): Captures the frustration and humor of workplace dynamics, similar to The Slammin’ Salmon’s restaurant setting.

🛒 The Slammin’ Salmon Related Products

• Super Troopers (Unrated) [Blu-ray]: If you loved The Slammin’ Salmon, you have to check out Super Troopers, the Broken Lizard crew’s breakout hit. It’s a must-own for any comedy fan, with even more quotable lines and ridiculous situations.
• Broken Lizard’s Club Dread [Blu-ray]: Explore their foray into horror comedy with Club Dread, offering a unique blend of slasher scares and Broken Lizard’s signature humor. A cult classic for die-hard fans.
• Waiting… (Unrated) [Blu-ray]: Waiting is a hilarious comedy that explores the lives of restaurant employees, featuring witty dialogue and outrageous antics.
• Miami Restaurant Mug: This mug lets you drink your morning coffee in style, reminding you of the insane night at the Slammin’ Salmon with its unique, colorful design.

🎧 Soundtrack

The Slammin’ Salmon features a captivating soundtrack that enhances the movie’s atmosphere and emotional impact. Here are some notable tracks:

• “Sombrero” – performed by Los Straitjackets
• “Cry of the Cougar” – performed by Original theme

You can find the complete soundtrack on Amazon Music and Apple Music.

🤨 FAQ

🔥 Bonus Content

Cry Of The Cougar

Did you know there was a full song written for Slammin’ Salmon? Check out ‘Cry of the Cougar’ – it’s surprisingly catchy and totally captures the movie’s quirky humor!

✨ Rate