Review of Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) by Rood T — 11 Jun 2010

Walk Hard should be called Sucked Bad. If this movie wasn't written and acted by men much older than me, I would swear that I am just too old to get it. The film thinks its funny, the actors certainly think they're funny, but I've seen better comedy throwing a cat in a shower.

Match the unfunny parts of Anchorman with any parts of Freddy Got Fingered and sprinkle with too much Taladaga Nights, a movie that only drunk wannabe rednecks watch because they can't actually understand how Nascar works. I don't know what else to say about Walk Hard, its just too damn confusing. Similar Judd Apatow movies like Anchorman and 40 Year old Virgin base themselves on original concepts while Dewey Cox comes across more of a spoof like Scream 7-14. It focuses on the main parts in James Mangold's Walk the Line through most of the film, but then just trails off into random slapstick jokes, a'la Airplane, lazily thought up and poorly executed.

Furthermore there just aren't any funny leads in it. John C. O'Reily tried his best, but just came across either too boisterous or too dumb He's proved a hilariously named character comedian in classic roles as Reed Rothchield in Boogie Nights and Buck Bretherton in Days of Thunder. But he shouldn't be carrying the main role in a film this ridiculous.

The other main lead Jenna Fischer, starring as love interest Darlene Madison, is too naturally dry for the character, which is why she's perfect in her role as Pam on The Office. She has a few good parts, but overall is quickly forgotten until the end of the film. Tim Meadows has one funny joke repeated over and over and over again. Jack White does a funny Elvis impression that was sadly only in about thirty seconds of the film.

Overall this wasn't very good. Though it was directed and co written by Orange County's Jake Kasden, I don't feel he deserves all the blame. The blame goes to co-writer Judd Apatow, who should know better. Coming off glory from works such as the tolerable romantic comedy Knocked Up and hilarious but void of plot Superbad, Walk Hard is far from the genius of his earlier works like the short lived brilliant Freaks and Geeks.

In the end, Walk Hard could come boxed with three blunts and seven midgets dressed like Dopey, Sleepy, Sneezy, Doc, Pestilence, Famine, and Doc, and still would be best used to torture infants. Walk Hard? Try Limp Soft.