Movie Review: Walk Hard - The Dewey Cox Story - Page 2

I could go on describing the plot, but I am sure you are familiar with this type of story. The bigger questions are whether or not it is funny and how well the performances work. The short answers are: yes, it is most definitely funny, and the performances are all quite good, with John C. Reilly's work being absolutely first rate.

What makes Walk Hard work as well as it does is that it is played straight. Rather than pushing everything over the top (like the Scary Movie series), the comedy plays much more subtly, so it retains an emotional center. It is an odd mix and it may hold some of the comedy back, but in the long run it makes the movie that much stronger - a full-fledged movie as opposed to a series of gags. Credit director Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow, who collaborated on the screenplay, for this success.

It seems that Judd Apatow can do no wrong. He has had a strong track record of late, with comedies that are funny and insightful and have a strong emotional core. It doesn't seem to matter in what capacity he is involved - from director (Knocked Up), producer (Superbad), or writer (as here). It seems that whenever anyone has a little bit of success there will undoubtedly be some backlash, and perhaps some will accuse me of jumping on the Apatow bandwagon, but I do not think I am. His work here, with Kasdan, is smart. It parodies the familiar without slipping into buffoonery. The screenplay gets to the heart of the biopic and even makes you care about the characters along the way. It's very interesting work.

Not every joke lands, but more hit their mark than not. There is a clever mix of slapstick, sight gags, quick verbal jabs, and some stuff that is just off-the-wall. The best thing is that the tone remains consistent throughout, centered by John C. Reilly's performance.

Article Author: Chris Beaumont

Christopher Beaumont spends much of his time writing about music and movies when he isn't indulging in them. He is always ready to talk about his favorite form of entertainment and offer up recommendations. Follow: Twitter and Tumblr. Visit: Critical Outcast. …

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