By Fred Topel | Image property of Columbia Pictures.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
Walk Hard is the best spoof since The Naked Gun. And I loved the original Scary Movie. I was so happy they noticed all the silly things about the horror movies, but Walk Hard really gets it. I usually love spoofs because I love the genres they're spoofing. I actually hate most of the musical biopics and I loved this spoof even more. Maybe there's something there.
Review: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
It really knows the musical biopic formula. They've got that down. Everyone plays their parts not only straight, but sincerely. Obviously you have to play it straight to make the comedy work, but the sincerity puts it over the edge.
The characters identify and announce plot points without breaking the story. My Big Fat Independent Movie tried to have its characters cleverly identify the indie movie clichés they were about to enact, but it just felt like film snobs thumbing their nose. Walk Hard worked it all into the world of the film.
They logically explore every ridiculous situation both in dialogue discussions and scenes. There are no cheap pratfalls. Every joke is on story.
They call people by both first and last names just to beat the point home. The cameos are fun to spot and actually allow regular character actors to play against their usual types. Joyfully blatant stereotypes have fun with and make fun of the stereotypes themselves.
The music is right on. It's the Johnny Cash sound with occasional forays into other musical genres, both from popular biopics and just plain modern musical culture. The words are solid, sometimes just silly little ditties but often profoundly clever parodies.
It's totally R-rated too. That takes it to Kentucky Fried Movie territory. Scary Movie didn't really feel R. It had big pubes and the same blood as its horror targets, but Walk Hard just lays it all out there.
Mainly, Walk Hard would be funny anyway. It's just even more amazing because it's so right about the musical biopics. If they need a cheesy quote from me, I'll say Walk Hard rocks hard.
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