You don't need to be a fan of RuPaul's Drag Race to enjoy Stop! That! Train!, but it certainly helps.
The disaster spoof penned by Hazbin Hotel writers Christina Friel and Connor Wright is broadly funny in the way of The Naked Gun or Airplane!. The jokes are more about embracing sublime stupidity than references to the long-running drag queen competition. However, headlined by the queen of drag RuPaul Charles, and RuGirls like Ginger Minj, Jujubee, Brooke Lynn Hytes, Symone, and Marcia Marcia Marcia (aka Marty Lauter), Stop! That! Train! has more to give to audiences who know the show, or at the very least embrace its zany brand of queer humor.
Stop! That! Train! delivers Heathers, underdogs, and a "stormaganza."
For years on RuPaul's Drag Race, the eponymous host and her panel of distinguished judges have challenged drag queens to become actors in a cascade of outlandish scenarios. There have been spoofs of science fiction, horror, and Shakespeare, to varying degrees of hilarity. But few of these concepts felt capable of supporting a feature-length plotline. Stop! That! Train! solves this problem by creating a totally outlandish scenario that — like most disaster movies — depends on leaping from one batch of could-be survivors to another. In this case, that allows for a nonstop ride of rollicking silliness.
Stop! That! Train! begins with an ad for Glamazonian Hyper Speed Rail, a big, long, pink (and yes, very phallic) bullet train that promises a luxury experience, complete with a trio of high-class attendants (Hytes, Symone, Lauter). To work on such an illustrious train line is the dream of the tragically unchic besties Tess (Minj) and DeeDee (Jujubee), who are attendants at the far less prestigious Stank Rail.
That is, until Stank Rail pulls a Spirit Airlines and closes without warning. From there, a twist of fate and a little help from a friend named Barbra (Latrice Royale) gives Tess and DeeDee their chance to be Glamazonians. But head attendant Amber (Hytes) won't make it easy on them.
Meanwhile, in a control room for trains nationwide, mousy and bespectacled Donna Dusk (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Rachel Bloom) warns her boss that a collision of natural disasters called a "stormageddon" is set to collide with this big, pink bullet train! Not only could it endanger the lives of everyone on board, but a train wreck of this magnitude could also threaten a nuclear power plant, a children's hospital, and the home of beloved character actress (and recent Tony winner) Laurie Metcalf!
So, on top of proving themselves to the haughty Heathers of Glamazonian Hyper Speed Rail, Tess and DeeDee will have to face their fears, and team up with President Judy Gagwell (RuPaul, of course) to save the day — and Laurie Metcalf's house!
Stop! That! Train! is stuffed with celebrity cameos.
In the tradition of spoofs, this one is bursting with famous faces playing deeply ridiculous roles. Comedians like Matt Rogers, Nicole Sullivan, Chris Parnell, Natasha Leggero, Drew Droege, Guy Branum, Missi Pyle, Joel McHale, and Riki Lindhome pop up, along with Drag Race alums like Monét X Change and Drag Race judge Michelle Visage.
However, my favorite cameo was Sarah Michelle Gellar, who plays herself as a celebrity who keeps thinking people recognize her, only to be horrendously scoffed at for petty reasons. It's a runner that made me laugh in shock every time. (Imagine not recognizing SMG!)
And yet, for all the big names in the ensemble, Minj and Jujubee prove a terrific double act. Minj shoulders the role of the smart bestie, blinded by ambition, and shows her growth from glamor toad to showgirl with a kicky dance number. By contrast, Jujubee is a divine as a ditzy blonde. As was the case on Dungeons and Drag Queens, she's radiant in her enthusiasm, even when she's utterly confused. And Stop! That! Train! gives her a romantic subplot that's funny and satisfyingly sexy.
Stop! That! Train! is brilliant in its stupidity.
Disenchanted director Adam Shankman helms this sensationally silly spoof, which is essentially a bunch of sketches stitched together with a manic pacing. In that way, Stop! That! Train! feels like a throwback to the '80s, when raunchy and unapologetically dumb comedies could thrive.
Rather than making the film feel like an antique, this devotion to the audaciously goofy feels timeless. Whether it's fumbled flirting with a side of nosebleed, an overwrought flashback of a comically tragic backstory, or the reveal of some DIY Glamazonian uniforms, this movie understands its audience wants outrageous. And Stop! That! Train! delivers.
Fans of Drag Race will also recognize callbacks to the show, like the catchphrase "Look over there!" — coined by Season 12 champion Jaida Essence Hall. But even if you're not versed on reading being fundamental, this movie is so stuffed with jokes, pratfalls, and visual gags that you'll have plenty of opportunity to laugh yourself silly.
Stop! That! Train! was reviewed out of Newfest; the movie opens in theaters on June 12.
