An American Carol was made by people who should know better. The film's director, David Zucker, helped create a movie some consider the mother of all spoofs,  Airplane! It took no prisoners, embraced no pretensions, and made mincemeat out of whatever targets appeared on its radar. Sadly, the years since have not been kind to Mr. Zucker, if making drivel like An American Carol is what he's resorted to. An unabashed parody, this so-called comedy is not funny and has zero clue about how to deliver its message.

Having already skewered disaster movies and the horror genre, Zucker's latest project is a bit more political. An American Carol centers on Michael Malone (Kevin Farley), an extremely left-leaning filmmaker responsible for such topical documentaries as Die, You American Pigs. But despite critical acclaim and legions of fans who hang on his every word, Michael longs to be able to direct an actual feature film. He's well on his way when some financing drops in his lap. However, little does he know he's actually being used as the pawn of a terrorist group itching for new recruits. Then before production can begin, Michael receives visits by  a series of spirits who try to set the oafish director on the straight and narrow. From General George S. Patton (Kelsey Grammer) to John F. Kennedy (Chriss Anglin), these ghosts have taken it upon themselves to convince Michael to recant his words and show him that there's plenty to like about the U.S. of A.

An American Carol being a political film, one's own beliefs will undoubtedly come into play while watching it, so I have to admit I'm not part of Zucker's  demographic target. Then again, a lot of people aren't, since he doesn't leave a lot of leg room. Good luck finding anything resembling a gray area in An American Carol. Everything about it is taken to the extreme, which wouldn't be so bad if Zucker used his time to poke fun at zealots on both sides of the political divide. But instead, the filmmaker allies himself with those who share the mindset that all "real" Americans appreciate the fine art of NASCAR and survive on a constant diet of country music. Despite the abundance of slapstick, there's nothing funny about how the movie depicts anyone who deviates the slightest bit from this attitude as a liberal hippie out to destroy the country. Even Joe Sixpack knows things aren't that simple, but try telling that to Zucker. His eagerness to throw his hat in the political ring surpasses his ability to manuever this murky realm; he blindly pounds on buttons when he should be pushing them with nimble dexterity.

What disturbs me most about An American Carol stems from the few scenes where it succeeds. As the film progressed, I kept wondering what happened to the guy who got the film off to a good start by poking fun at celebrities who raise awareness about world hunger while wolfing down lobster. Zucker actually lands a couple great potshots, so a guy as prominent and self-promoting as Michael Moore should've been an easy target. Instead, Moore is made yet another victim of the script's insulting generalizations and cheap fat jokes. The blending of satirical humor and physical pratfalls does not work in the film's favor, especially during an extremely awkward sequence involving Michael smacking his head on a series of bells -- amid the rubble of the Twin Towers. But the cherry on top of this misguided sundae is how much acting talent was swiftly laid to waste. I'm sure Kevin Farley can be a funny guy, but not when this script has him shoving Twinkies down his throat and parading around as a one-dimensional jerk. Grammer grins and bears it as Patton, Jon Voight pops up in a patronizing cameo as George Washington, and Robert Davi looks positively lost as a terrorist ringleader.

There's a scene in An American Carol in which Bill O'Reilly, playing himself, condemns Michael for making one-sided movies people will actually listen to. I'm sad because there's an audience for this movie,  people who think the world works in black-and-white and that if you're not with "us," you're with "them." That premise ought to offend anyone regardless of political affiliation, yet An American Carol buys into it hook, line, and sinker.

MY RATING: * (out of ****)

(Released by Vivendi Entertainment and rated "PG-13" for rude and irreverent content, language and brief drug material.)