Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp (2015) User Reviews (66)

Great Fun

[johmil-18374 · 8/10 · 31 July 2015]

I have not seen the film this series is based on. But the series is just wonderful, charming, bizarre and a great deal of fun. Its like a parody on 80s teen movies but it ends up something much more. This alternative universe is a warm place to spend a couple of hours in. Paul Rudd is excellent as one of the lead character, he is overacting but so does everyone else in the cast, and it works. In some strange way it doesn't feel like a parody but more like a reality somewhere else. Like a movie started to become real and the characters live on far after the movie ended.

The cast is excellent and its just big names everywhere like Amy Poehler, Bradley Cooper, Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Banks, Chris Pine and it goes on and on. And its great fun seeing this big names and some in minor parts building up this summer camp universe.

For everyone that likes bizarre, sometimes childish but still funny movies.

stupider and funnier

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 13 February 2017]

In 2001, 'Wet Hot American Summer' introduces a group of relatively unknown young comedic actors. Some of them played teenage camp counselors despite being too old. Fifteen years later, most return to play the same characters in a prequel during their first day at Camp Firewood in the summer of 1981. The time bending silliness of that construction is boldly inventive and utterly hilarious. On top of that, this eight-episode Netflix series doubles down and goes even more ridiculous. The plot is insane. The jokes are even broader. The original confused me on my first viewing. Its satirical take isn't consistent enough and the varying range of comedy left me a little discombobulated. The original is inconsistently awkward funny but this time around, the gang is going completely nuts. They are not holding back and it is glorious.

Better than the movie

[ptann · 8/10 · 14 August 2015]

We tried watching the movie (which I'd never heard of until about a week ago), and just didn't get it. But we decided to try the show anyway since 40-somethings in wigs playing teens seemed like an amusing idea. And it was! For me, that joke never got old. Besides that, there were some great parody story lines, playing on old TV and movie tropes, that I found very funny.

-Standout Actors-

The show is worth watching for Paul Rudd and Elizabeth Banks alone. They both went hilariously over the top, plus their story lines were among the funniest. Kristen Wiig, Josh Charles, Chris Pine, and Michael Cera were standouts in smaller roles, for the same reason.

-This show is polarizing -- for a reason-

Some people won't get the humour here, perhaps because they just don't appreciate irony and absurdism. But maybe there's another reason… I think some people haven't been exposed to all the cheesy after school specials and movies of the week that this show is parodying. TV has become pretty sophisticated in the past decade or so; it's not quite as innocent (and in some cases, silly) as it used to be. And if you're not familiar with what's being parodied, it's hard to get the joke.

Everything you would expect from Wet Hot American Summer and more

[david-m-b95 · 10/10 · 9 August 2015]

Crazy? Check.

Stupid? Check.

Nonsensical? Check.

Hilarious? Check.

But did you expect anything less from a Wet Hot American Summer prequel?

Fans of David Wain's 2001 cult comedy Wet Hot American Summer will be jumping for joy at this show. The humour is much the same yet somehow manages to become even more random with some of the craziest subplots I think I may have ever seen, however it is all consistently funny and had me laughing non- stop. But above all the show is incredibly meta, a tough job done well!

Seeing the cast of the original return for this was a real joy to behold. The likes of Elizabeth Banks, Paul Rudd, Bradley Cooper and Amy Poehler effortlessly slip back into their roles and seem to pick up right where they left off in 2001, seeing how these actors have hit the big time with their careers only heightens the hilarity of seeing them return to their roles 15 years on, the meta aspect of this being a prequel series with the older actors only adds in to make the mere concept of the show even funnier.

However seeing the likes of Janeane Garofalo, Michael Showalter, Zak Orth, Michael Ian Black and Christopher Meloni reprising their roles is also a real joy to behold, especially given that they may not have had careers that reached the same heights as Rudd and Cooper. And you can tell that they are all having a blast!

The rest of the cast is simply hilarious with a whole host of big, new names joining the show furthering the meta aspect of the show. New additions include Randall Park, Jason Schwartzman, Michael Cera, John Hamm, Lake Bell, Kirsten Wiig, Weird Al and Chris Pine among others.

But in the midst of all this hilarity, just when you think that it can't get any funnier, something dawns on you...

All these events are happening over the course of one day.

One day.

The only downside to this show is that there are only 8 episodes, we need more!!!

For fans of the original, this will not disappoint.

For new Wet Hot American Summer viewers, welcome to the chaotic comedy that is Wet Hot American Summer.

Ignore the mixed reviews - if you like the movie, check this out...

[mashkej · 9/10 · 3 August 2015]

WHAS:FDoC is awesome. Its not really a series of 30m stand alone episodes, its much better digested as one looong movie which is easily watched over a couple sessions. Fortunately netflix makes this easy.

The show is a lot of fun. As with the movie, its not really easy to describe. Its part parody but often played very straight and not even necessarily for the joke. There's a lot of the show (and movie) which come across as a straight forward camp storyline. Some of the jokes miss. Some a predictable. But when you put it all together its a TON OF FUN. There's goofy stuff. There's creative bits. There's wonderful cameos. Amazing setpieces. Perfect music. And a lot of laughs. It also manages to poke fun at at least five or six movie/TV themes (camp films, courtroom drama, rock bio, military, coming of age, etc).

It should be noted that the finished product is really pretty amazing given the limitations of schedule and trying to recapture the look/tone/feel of a movie made many years ago. They do some VERY creative camera-work and editing to stretch each actors involvement to feel like everyone was there the whole time.

So...check it out..and stick with it. The first few episodes are pretty straight forward..then stuff gets wacky around ep3 and doesn't let up. Its awesome!!

It's good fun...and weird.

[Matt-Canalcon · 7/10 · 31 July 2015]

It's really good to see these bunch of actors that has become famous to spend another (long) day at the Camp. Paul Rudd is as funny as he was in the movie, and there is also a bunch of new characters (Jon Hamm, Michael Cera, Chris Pine) that makes the whole series very funny. Netflix has done it again, it's also a great timing for the summer.

I can't say it's perfect, maybe die-hard fans of the movie will give it a 10 for bringing back the nostalgia and the same kind of humor, but maybe sometimes it gets too....weird? The whole plot with the government spilling chemical waste was funny at first but it seemed to drag on after a few episodes and it became a bit annoying from my point of view. However, the plot hits a few right notes with the lawyer (Michael Cera) and the Falcon (Jon Hamm).

This was really meant for the fans of the original movie, Ben (Bradley Cooper) is still secretly attracted to boys, Coop (Michael Showalter) is having problems with girls and Andy (Paul Rudd) is just as nonchalant as he was in the movie. It's done in a clever way that doesn't make you feel like you're watching the same stuff.

Good series for the summer, maybe not everyone will enjoy it but I ended up watching the whole thing pretty fast and I laughed out loud a couple of times. I am looking forward to see more from the Camp Firewood!

7/10

Better than the Movie

[dolewinski · 10/10 · 2 October 2019]

I was a huge fan of the movie before this came out and after multiple viewings, this is much funnier and way more absurd than the movie. Love it

Soo fun to watch

[kreydatus · 7/10 · 12 August 2022]

I had no expectations prior to watching this hilarious show. It borrows campy humor elements from Hot Shots, Police Academy, Scary Movie series, etc...I loved the original WHAS movie, this is great!!

It makes the audience feel like they've never left Camp Firewood-- a wonderful continuation overall.

[hollyhunt-60283 · 10/10 · 31 July 2015]

If you did not like the jokes in the original movie, do not watch the series; if there is one thing that the two have in common, it's a childish sense of humor. Personally, I love it, but do not expect to like the TV show if you did not like or have not seen Wet Hot.

I'm praying for a season two, but given the busy schedules of the actors involved, it'll be iffy. Also, it kind of depends on the ratings. If you're a Wet Hot fan and reading this, give the show a 5-star review!

With that out of the way, I think this is bound to make die-hard fans like me feel all warm inside. It makes the audience feel like they've never left Camp Firewood— a wonderful continuation overall. There were a few minor things that seemed too modern (this is a very small example, but a lot of the new female characters had ombre hair, something that wasn't really a thing until 2005+), but it didn't really affect my viewing experience.

Tiny spoilers in this paragraph! The Camp Tigerclaw subplot sometimes showed hints of whatever Netflix did to ruin Arrested Development in season 4, but I think that it was perfect overall; this isn't because I enjoyed it (which I didn't!) but because it was unobtrusive. Any cinematography, costuming, or lines that seemed out of place stayed at Camp Tigerclaw and didn't bleed into Camp Firewood, for which I am grateful.

Overall, I think this is a home-run. Cult movie nerds like me will fall in love with Camp Firewood all over again. I'm kind of regretting binge-watching the whole thing right now—sad that it's over ☹

(I don't think that there was enough Ben and Mckinley, but that's just a personal thing. They still had some cute moments~ Get Mckinley laid!)

Even Funnier Than The Original!

[MovieHoliks · 7/10 · 17 August 2015]

In anticipation of seeing this new mini-series prequel to the 1981 film, I recently went back and watched the original 2001 film, and chuckled pretty regularly throughout that as I had recalled doing before. But over the weekend, I got around to watching all eight episodes of this Netflix original, and was LMAO the whole way through!

While the original was set on the last day of camp in 1981- this prequel is obviously set entirely on that first day; and the events are all set up to lead you to what happened in the original film. Of course, since the first movie was fourteen years ago, it's amazing seeing all these thirty-, forty-, and in some cases, fifty-something actors playing like 21!?? LOL Most haven't aged too much, except that one dude (who doubled as Ronald Reagan) has gotten pretty fat! LOL

I would say, if you haven't seen the original movie- as I advised my sister- watch that FIRST, then tackle this mini-series. I'm hoping Netflix will do another mini-series- the second day, and maybe so on, so on, etc..-?? It's incredible they were able to get the whole cast back together, a lot of them of course have went onto big stardom since then- Bradley Cooper, Janeane Garofalo, Elizabeth Banks, David Hyde Pierce, Judah Friedlander, Paul Rudd, etc... plus some others have joined the cast such as Jason Schwartzman, Lake Bell, and even Capt. Kirk himself, Chris Pine!

Weird but good

[killoughh · 10/10 · 11 September 2019]

Very strange storyline but very funny! Features a cast of actors who are now big names and several seemingly "cameos" that at the time were relatively unknown people. Very cool to re-watch. Not appropriate for children.

If you're a fan then you'll like it but if not...

[Brandon-SL · 6/10 · 31 July 2015]

When I heard that netflix were bringing back this cult comedy I was surprised. Personally when i first watched the original I enjoyed it but after a while I just forgot about it. I was shocked at how much of a cult following it gained over the years. Don't get me wrong I did enjoy the movie and i shouldn't really complain about getting a whole season of seeing the actors back playing their characters before the original movie took place. I did find it funny how they are supposed to be young adults but they look much older than before. I don't really care about this sort of thing as long as they address it. Anyway I probably should review the TV show so here goes... I've binge watched all of the episodes and the weakest episodes were definitely the first two, and understandably so. However it does gradually improve, but that doesen't mean i loved the last few episodes and this is definitely down to me not being a huge fan of the movie. I can definitely see fans of the movie loving this nostalgia filled series; there are lots of callbacks to the film, some which i probably missed and people can feel joy in this aspect. But as I am not one of these people I just found this series to be a fairly funny show. The a- list actors were the main redeeming quality and the cast alone is why my score is a 7 and not a 4, but I do wish we saw them much more. I found the younger cast annoying and i didn't care about them at all. The cringe was a little bit unbalanced and left me not enjoying the experience a lot more. But that's not saying i hate awkward shows; the UK and us office are one of my favourite TV shows and that is because they did it right and there were enough jokes to balance out the funny awkwardness. But "First Day Of Camp" is a different story and I think people who enjoyed it, deep down were probably a little disappointed.

Overall, if you are a fan of the original then you may find some enjoyment in this prequel but if you aren't then you are not missing out by not watching it. But i still found myself chuckling at times and whenever an actor who I liked showed up I did find some enjoyment in that aspect. Nevertheless, despite this I was still disappointed with this netflix show considering their amazing streak they are on.

Terrible!

[ghostmistresstina · 1/10 · 6 August 2015]

No plot., just stupid human tricks. I created an account just to trash this. The cast line up read like who's who, but that is it's one claim to fame. The whole time watching the first episode, I kept thinking what I might be watching and enjoying instead. I love TV, I love movies, I watch up to 80 hours of all genres a week due to health reasons. However this one show will not be given a 2nd chance. Sorry! Maybe if they had made the characters a little more believable, so a person could pick a favorite and cheer on whatever their goal was for the summer. But the characters were so over the top unbelievable, that the whole show came Off as more as a bad high school play put on by drunk grown-ups who should be embarrassed by their actions. Just my humble opinion. Sorry,

If you don't get it the first time, watch it again.

[ginnseven · 10/10 · 5 September 2017]

When I saw this pop up on Netflix I was intrigued by the cast. It had to be funny right? I tried to watch the first couple episodes and left midway through the second. I didn't know if it was because I did not see the movie or what. It just did not seem funny or nostalgic. That was a few months ago, fast forward to this summer and I saw that the WHAS 10 years later was out. So I decided to check that out, just to see if it was anything better. I don't know why but I found it hilarious, I loved the first episode so much I immediately stopped watching and went back and started watching the original series, then the movie that started it all. Maybe I didn't get it the first time or the "10 years later" premise sparked a renewed interest. The idea of these older comedians playing kids was magic and their naivete made it priceless. For whatever reason you gave up on it from the start, try it again, you might be glad you did.

Wet Hot American Summer First Day of Camp

[MrPorkuz · 8/10 · 1 August 2015]

Wet Hot American Summer First Day of Camp is the newest Netflix original series and it is a continuation of the 2001 Film Wet Hot American Summer. The film has many of the same stars and has some new ones such as Chris Pine, Jason Schwarzmann, Michael Cera and numerous other recognizable stars. The series explores life at summer camp to and extreme level and also to a some what relatable level at some times however for the most part the series is absurd and unrealistic which is not necessarily a bad thing as most of the comic aspects of the film rely on dry humor and the crazy things the characters do. The characters feel like cartoon characters and the whole show feels like a real life cartoon, I could not help but think of Cartoon Network's Camp Lazloo when I watched this which is a very unique new type of comedy from the traditional less absurd comedies such as Big Bang Theory and Silicon Valley. The series will not be as enjoyable to all who do not enjoy this ridiculous humor however the stunning cast and filmography will be a definite treat.

8.5/10

Four-Hour Prequel Exactly the Same Style as Original

[curtis-8 · 6/10 · 3 August 2015]

I enjoyed this slightly more than I did the movie. HOWEVER, you won't really get it unless you've seen the movie first--not only because you won't get the "prequel-ness" of it all, but you'll also have no idea why people in their 40s and 50s are playing folks in their teens and twenties.

From the fast paced preview I saw on YouTube, I was expecting the series to be more quickly paced and relentlessly foul (in a funny way) than the movie. But it's really pretty much exactly the same style as the original movie. In fact you could edit all 8 episodes of the series together and make one 4 hour film that would actually be more cohesive than the the original movie. And if not for the fact that the cast (who were all too old for their parts in 2001) are all 15 years older, you'd think this was made in 2002. And whether you think that's good or bad news depends on your love of the original film

Silly and dumb and why did I laugh so hard?

[dbkdances · 8/10 · 1 August 2015]

I found the first two or three episodes almost painful to watch. The writing was lame, there was no connection to the movie to speak of, and I wondered why all the actors agreed to do the film (does anyone read scripts?). Somehow, there was enough to get me to watch the rest and I must say there were some funny bits. It reminded me of SNL, where maybe one out of four skits get me laughing.

It was great fun watching all the actors do their thing, some of them surprisingly well. Jon Hamm is a riot, especially in a fight with Christopher Meloni. Both of them playing their absurd roles totally straight-faced. I did not recognize Chris Pine, and enjoyed him as well as a half-dozen a-list actors and actresses.

I'm glad I stayed for the later episodes.

INCREDIBLY Funny, But Too Many What?! Moments!

[tesswysko · 7/10 · 15 March 2019]

I saw the original movie back when it first came out, and I re-watched it recently on Netflix and it was just as funny as I remembered! Granted it's not as funny as Meatballs who they're obviously copying, but the all-star cast really brings it together and other than Amy Poehler who just seems to make things strenuous, everybody just seems to get along and have a great time and that shows through! So when I saw that there were not one but two series made which would be the first day of camp, and 10 years later, I was super excited! This one which is: The First Day Of Camp, was done in 2015 which was practically 10 years later LOL! So all of the actors are much older and much different looking already and that makes things very awkward when you're trying to backtrack in the story line and make this be the first day of camp! This explains the story about how the can of beans appears to be talking to the chef, and how Janeane Garofalo's character is in charge of the camp. But there are so many situations like that that are supposed to have happened way back and I believe it's 1981 that are just so unbelievable because of the fact that these people are so much older now than they were in the first movie it lends some serious doubt and confusion and just odd feeling to the movie! Also, there's a lot of things in the storyline that are just kind of what are they talking about? Moments that that in and of itself makes it hard and uncomfortable to watch as well, it kind of feels like the writers got so far and then just gave up! It was really good riding through probably the first half of the episodes and then it just took a nosedive. And I don't know about you but I also read a lot of books and I'm a journalist so when people don't tie up loose ends and things it in my craw. And there was so much of that going on that by the last episode, pretty much all the funny was beaten out of the movie. This series is still worthwhile seeing but just go into it knowing that it's not like the movie, and things may be tied up in the series 10 years later that weren't tied up here, because there were things in the original movie that weren't tied up but they were in this series so maybe things will be good by the end of Ten Years Later? Fingers crossed!

More ham than I've eaten over the last five Christmas's. And way more fun to digest.

[daz-15753 · 9/10 · 21 January 2021]

Unfortunately I'm old enough to have watched camp movies like 1979's Meatballs. And young enough at the time to have taken them partly, seriously. This is one of the stupidest, most juvenile parody pieces I've ever seen.

And it's hilarious.

Funny show

[mikeppalomba · 7/10 · 18 October 2015]

would have given it a 9 or 10, very funny to me. Enjoyed most parts of the series. There was a lot of quality laughs and great script. Only reason that I did not give it a higher score was because there was no bare breasts, which is pretty disappointing being the level of attractiveness of some of the actresses in the cast. Don't want to give away any spoilers but there was many strange parts to the show as well. Watched the entire season in one night so maybe I did not get the "cliff hanger" effect the show was going fro when the episodes ended but it was very easy for me follow what was going on. Overall fantastic show.

Satirical Genius, Absolutely Stupid

[KyleLicht · 10/10 · 22 August 2020]

I've already done a review about the movie recently and it has the same effect on me as the show does. However, the show is ten times stupider, which I may like better that way. Many parts of the show are very frustrating, but that's all part of the charm of it. If the movie wasn't weird enough with 20-year olds playing 16 year olds, these actors are 30-year olds playing the same 16-year olds, but two months prior. So, the characters are younger but the actors are older. This show is absolute absurdity and full of intentional plot holes. I love it with all my heart. In fact, as a freshman in college I was hanging out with some friends and they put on the show. Rather than talk to the girls in the room, I was enthralled by how surprisingly funny the show was. Later on, I was introduced to the movie and the second show. But, I was drawn in by "First Day of Camp" and I've watched it probably ten times now. It never gets old and I keep noticing new things.

If you liked the original movie...

[mharah · 6/10 · 6 November 2016]

...and not many people originally did (it developed a cult following later), this series is for you. It doubles down on the silliness, the randomness, the crudeness, and the just plain dopey-ness of the 2003 film. It's not supposed to be a sequel (it's billed as a prequel, although that doesn't seem to matter to the script). The original actors are all back. They are now much more well-known and successful, and they are, of course, 15 years older. Even though they were too old for the roles in 2003 (Deliberately? Probably), if you thought they were funny then, you'll find them just as funny now. Maybe even more. The new additions to the originals enter into the fun with equal gusto and are readily welcomed into the fraternity. (All of their careers have often intersected over the intervening years.) So, since this is a prequel, the 20-years-too-old youngsters interact with the real, actual-age pre-teens - all previously experienced newcomers of course, but just as potty-mouthed. (Not a criticism - the young actors are very terrific. Getting in with this group of pros will undoubtedly be very helpful careerwise. The young piano player is a knockout; watch his subtle reactions.) No word on how successful this series has been. Netflix doesn't reveal how it makes that judgment. If there is a Season Two, the Production Manager doing the Day-Out-of-Days will have one heck of time working around all these A-Listers' schedules. So don't hold your breath.

Sign me up

[Flunky3k · 5/10 · 2 August 2015]

Shameless Camp is in session. Undeniably a vehicle whose parts are much greater than the whole, and whose making was probably more fun than watching. A fluffy, escapist binge watch.

The best moments are one on one where the actors can rise above the material. Amy Poehler and John Slattery - you two are adorable together. Get a series already. Bradley Cooper and Michael Ian Black - you two are adorable together. Get a room already. Jon Hamm and Christopher Meloni in an epic kitchen battle. Elizabeth Banks and Nurse Nancy. Elizabeth Banks and a halter top.

Bubble gum entertainment with a parade of talent who all seem to get a moment to show why we love them on screen. Many times the loose, quick, over the top juvenile shtick wears very thin. But the name "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" says it all. It's all it promised to be.

So next time, sign me up.

Just a fun, amazing comedy that is hard to explain.

[lexxluthor · 10/10 · 12 August 2015]

This show was based off the also very good movie, by the same name. It follows the movie by being the first day of the camp, whereas the movie was the last day of the camp. To make a prequel fourteen years later was pretty surprising, but it was just as amazing and funny as the movie, maybe better. It would be very hard to explain, like they tried to in the last episode, but it will not cover everything. It was an exceptionally well written script meant to be funny and not very serious, and it is just that. The movie uses a cast made of almost all well-know stars that will have you laughing until the very end. The characters all have their own personalities, but share the same stupidly hilarious humour. The entire show is full of stupid, but very funny jokes that will have you on the floor laughing just about the whole time. The very well-picked actors and actresses make the entire show even better. They do things you would not usually see them do and it is just so amazing. It is a great pick-me-up on a bad day and I hope everyone who watches it feels the same way.

I can die a happy man, thank u Netflix...oh god...my heart ahhh.

[mpurvismattp · 10/10 · 27 November 2015]

Just kidding I didn't actually die of a massive heart attack...or did I? I loved the WHAS movie and if u did too well then I guess we're buddies for life and since I'm your buddy I'm gonna let u in on a lil secret, come closer to the screen we don't want any dorks to find out ya know what I mean...dorks...pfft. Anyway now that were alone I can tell you that Netflix managed to get the ENTIRE cast back together as well as adding some hilarious cameos from todays biggest Hollywood stars (like the kid that plays Peter Pan in that Geico commercial). How f-ing cool is that right? I mean that kid probably has his pick of top quality scripts in Hollywood and he took his time to do this show, wow. The humor is wackier then ever and although the camp councilors may look a bit older (and some a bit fatter) they won't let that stop them from playing slightly younger versions of the characters that made them major Hollywood players and taught a generation of kids that you don't have to be ashamed to hump a fridge or have a bottle of dick cream, it's about being who you are. And isn't that what life's really all about?