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Craig Younkin
Movie Review
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
By Craig Younkin Published December 23, 2007
US Release: December 21, 2007
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly , Jenna Fischer , Tim Meadows , David Krumholtz
R for sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Running Time: 96 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $18,317,151
Directed by: Jake Kasdan
Starring: John C. Reilly , Jenna Fischer , Tim Meadows , David Krumholtz
R for sexual content, graphic nudity, drug use and language
Running Time: 96 minutes
Domestic Box Office: $18,317,151
C+
This is one of those spoofs that really doesn't mean a whole lot unless it's being funny. And unfortunately, there are only a few big laughs here surrounded by cheap, broad ones that either cause a smile or miss the mark completely.
This has been a very good year for Judd Apatow, at least up until the month of December. Recently, star Kathryn Heigl has ripped on "Knocked Up," both "Knocked" and "Superbad" were denied any major awards consideration, and now he's stumbled a little bit with "Walk Hard." I'm not saying the movie isn't funny, but I am saying that for what he's trying to do, it needed to be funnier. This is one of those spoofs that really doesn't mean a whole lot unless it's being funny. And unfortunately, there are only a few big laughs here surrounded by cheap, broad ones that either cause a smile or miss the mark completely.
John C. Reilly plays the title character, the black sheep of an Alabama family who accidentally kills his overachieving brother in a machete fight. Dewey goes on to be one of the pioneers of Rock N' Roll, but the guilt of his brother's death, accompanied by his father's continued observation that "the wrong kid died," and the temptations of drugs and women send his life into a tailspin that includes failed marriages and stints in rehab. The story is sort of a non-factor here, as it's really just a jumping off point to make fun of movies like "Walk the Line." There are a few funny moments here, like an encounter Dewey has with The Beatles that turns into an animated LSD dream. But like most spoofs these days, the movie is basically a barrage of hit or miss jokes that are stupid and weird, like seeing a guy's cock and balls or a guy who continues to talk even after being cut in half.
John C. Reilly proves himself to be a fairly decent comedic actor and he actually does have a good singing voice which makes him good for the role. Tim Meadows, formerly of SNL, surprisingly comes off the best though, playing the drummer who continually gets Dewey hooked on one drug after another. Only unfortunately when the movie ends, you feel underwhelmed. It's nice if you want to kill a couple hours but it's unmemorable and falls back on mediocre material for the most part. For a movie with the title "Walk Hard," it surprisingly doesn't do that too often.
John C. Reilly plays the title character, the black sheep of an Alabama family who accidentally kills his overachieving brother in a machete fight. Dewey goes on to be one of the pioneers of Rock N' Roll, but the guilt of his brother's death, accompanied by his father's continued observation that "the wrong kid died," and the temptations of drugs and women send his life into a tailspin that includes failed marriages and stints in rehab. The story is sort of a non-factor here, as it's really just a jumping off point to make fun of movies like "Walk the Line." There are a few funny moments here, like an encounter Dewey has with The Beatles that turns into an animated LSD dream. But like most spoofs these days, the movie is basically a barrage of hit or miss jokes that are stupid and weird, like seeing a guy's cock and balls or a guy who continues to talk even after being cut in half.
John C. Reilly proves himself to be a fairly decent comedic actor and he actually does have a good singing voice which makes him good for the role. Tim Meadows, formerly of SNL, surprisingly comes off the best though, playing the drummer who continually gets Dewey hooked on one drug after another. Only unfortunately when the movie ends, you feel underwhelmed. It's nice if you want to kill a couple hours but it's unmemorable and falls back on mediocre material for the most part. For a movie with the title "Walk Hard," it surprisingly doesn't do that too often.
Craig's Grade: C+
Craig's Overall Grading: 340 graded movies
| A | 10.9% | |
| B | 41.8% | |
| C | 31.8% | |
| D | 15.3% | |
| F | 0.3% |
