Beastie Boys feat. Santigold ‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’ Music Video

It’s hard to review this mini piece of cinematica without giving anything away so promise me you’ll hit play and just watch the whole thing through?

The Beastie Boys are known for their game-changing videos so can you imagine combining their notoriety with the genius talents of Spike Jonze (creator of Jackass, director of motion picture Where The Wild Things Are and the man behind music videos like Bjork‘s ‘It’s Oh So Quiet’)? Exactly. The mind struggles to compute.

‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’ is an 11-minute unfettered, all expense paid action extravaganza featuring action figures in combat mode: the Beastie Boys vs the Anti-Beastie Boys, featuring a cameo by a Santigold doll. We’re dealing with weapons, explosives, high speed jeep chases, zombies, a yeti, sky diving, a shark attack, submarine journey and all sorts of good stuff normally reserved for 007 films.

Here are three things you need to know about the Beastie Boys‘ new video. [Editor's note: there is only one intelligent opinion enclosed]:

1) Suspend/unsuspend disbelief.

You suspend your disbelief and you don’t. You’re swept up in the chase, violence and gore thinking it’s a full-fledged action movie of Steven Seagal proportions but then you’re also so incredibly aware of the hands and sticks moving things around. The whole heightened reality of play time we’re lured into by the video’s make-shift approach is actually more gratifying than watching any glossy, green screen animation work.

The element of realness and that conflict of what’s fantasy and what’s human-motivated is what makes this video and play time so fun. Think of the times you were a child playing with your toys. You knew that it was your hand holding up that plane but still, in your mind’s eye, you see it flying freely through the sky.

Also, consider the way this video was shot – in live action sequence as opposed to stop motion animation. The shaky camera and blurred focus gives it all that hands on, real-time action feel. Whereas, if the production was all rendered as stop motion work – a popular option for directors wanting to bring inanimate objects to live – the whole thing would’ve come off as robotic, distant and unaffecting. Seriously, go watch some clay animation now. It’s a different feeling, I’m telling you.

2) I don’t think you’re ready for this jelly.

Tasty. I’m surprised that the yeti didn’t slap on a bib and go to town on that shit.

3) One for the laydeez.

Every anatomically correct Beastie Boy action figure comes with a fetching pair of jean shorts and coconut scented sun tan lotion.

Footnotes:

‘Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win’ is the fourth single from Beastie Boys’ latest album: Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.