Anyone who has ever made a no-budget home movie, replete with exaggerated performances and makeshift props out of The Warriors, will hold a special place in their heart for Be Kind Rewind - the latest effort from the imaginative mind of Academy Award-winning filmmaker Michel Gondry.

Unlike previous efforts The Science of Sleep and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Gondry has toned down his music video-inspired visual artistry, and crafted his most “conventional” film to date.

Jerry (Jack Black) and Mike (Mos Def) are longtime friends living in Passaic, New Jersey. Jerry is a loopy mechanic who’s convinced that the power plant situated next to his trailer has a secret agenda. Meanwhile, Mike lives and works in the local video store Be Kind Rewind, which is being killed by rival mega-chain West Coast Video, who specializes in DVD rentals.

The owner of the outmoded video store is the principled Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover), who has 60 days to improve the condition of his store, or else it will be demolished to make way for dull condominiums. Mr. Fletcher also claims that the ramshackle building was once home to jazz legend Fats Waller, and decides to take a pilgrimage to commemorate the anniversary of Fats’ death, leaving Mike in charge of the store.

Later that day, Jerry decides to sabotage his arch-nemesis –the local power plant – but gets caught in an electromagnetic field. The next day, Jerry returns to the video store and while wandering the aisles, he unknowingly erases all the videotapes. This latest act of foolishness forces Mike and Jerry to concoct a harebrained scheme to remake – or “swede” – all the tapes the townspeople want to see.

They start by “swedeing” Ghostbusters for loyal customer Miss. Falewicz (Mia Farrow), who has never seen the film. The film is a joke – they use fishing rods with tinsel attached at the ends for their proton rays – but soon the demand increases for the hilarious “sweded” movies and the films become a local sensation. In order to meet such high demand, the duo bulks up their crew, recruiting from the local townspeople including Alma (A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints’ Melonie Diaz), a local dry cleaner.

Money starts rolling in, but will the guys come up with enough money to save the store in time, and ward off a studio representative (a cameo by Sigourney Weaver, presumably reprising her scene-stealing role in The TV Set) threatening to sue for copyright infringement?

Gondry’s film really soars in the uproarious “sweding” scenes, as the amateur filmmakers’ creative usage of cheap props splendidly complements their exaggerated performances. But it’s Jack Black’s comedic talents that must be given the lion’s share of the credit for Be Kind Rewind’s effectiveness as a film. Thankfully, Black has returned from the uncomfortable milieu of rom-com’s (see: The Holiday), to what he does best – playing the chubby, wacky, smart-mouthed sidekick (High Fidelity, Orange County). Whether he’s scolding Mike in a granny outfit as the crotchety Miss Daisy (Driving Miss Daisy) or looking skyward and howling “What’s happening to our ‘hood?” while sporting a ridiculous curly wig (Boyz ‘N the Hood), Black provides a master class in overacting, and would make the a fantastic charades partner.

There is a vaudevillian feel to Be Kind Rewind that at times makes the film seem disjointed, as well as a near-overwhelming sense of sentimentality, but if you give in to the film’s endearing charm, you’ll enjoy this delightful celebration of the DIY aesthetic.