As a comedy, Bob Odenkirk’s penitentiary send-up is bootless. The jokes about inmate rape are tiresome and uninspired; there’s not even the expected play on “Drop the soap.” As a drama, however, Let’s Go to Prison is dark, even profound. John Lyshitski (Dax Shepard) — that’s right, Le-shit-ski — is a career criminal just out of the slammer with plans to off the judge who put him away three times. Problem is, the guy’s already dead, so John turns his sights to the judge’s son, Nelson (Will Arnett), an arrogant yuppie in need of some life altering. Shit happens and the two wind up cellmates. with John steering Nelson awry at every turn so that the skinheads and gangbangers all want a piece of Nelly. Arnett does a nice job of cycling from elitist asshole to punk bitch and beyond, but the film hangs on John, who never rises above a contemptuous sod out for himself. Watching him try to play through with valor makes Prison pass like a month in the hole.

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