I watched Walk Hard

I ended up going to the movies a lot more than usual while my other best friend was home. This isn't surprising; I really only go to the movies with people, and when most of my friends have moved away. I think that until I went to see August Rush in November, the last movie I had seen in the theatre was Ratatouille. Then in the space of a few weeks, I saw I Am Legend, Walk Hard, and Juno. At least I know where the new cinema is now.

Anyway. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is not the kind of thing I would usually pick to go see. It's like a Will Ferrell movie, only without Will Ferrell (and while he's got some chops, I don't like his comedies much). The blatant innuendo in the title alone would be enough to turn me off the film. But I like John C. Reilly, I like it even better when he sings, and The Office (US) has awakened me to the charms of Jenna Fischer, so I said yes.

There were parts of the movie that amused me. Mostly the absolute hyperbole: the grown man masquerading as a fourteen-year-old, the woman playing his twelve-year-old girlfriend, the way that it all got worked into some expository dialogue. It was almost surreal, the way they discarded any pretense at realism. A song gets written on the spot, the musicians are so hip to the jive that they're able to play along, and within 35 minutes (thanks, DJ Exposition!), it's topping the charts! Amazing! I can get down (somewhat) with a movie that doesn't take itself seriously.

Despite Jenna Fischer's cleavage, the movie did drag on a bit. The whole-life approach meant a bunch of costume changes and a little bit of aging makeup, which was interesting, but I felt that the lessons could have been learned in much less time. Dewey Cox is no David Bowie, to go through a hundred phases and still be interesting. He wasn't that interesting in the first place. I liked the band members all right; they got short-shrifted in all kinds of ways.

The movie doesn't quite go far enough to be true parody, but I did enjoy the self-aware moments. And I'll admit it, I laughed at some of the cheaper gags, but more in "They did what?" shock and half-horror than in true entertainment. But then, I'm pretty hard to please when it comes to comedies.

Overall, I don't really regret seeing it, but I wouldn't see it again in the theatre. I might watch bits and pieces if it were on within earshot, but mostly for the novelty of seeing Jenna Fischer all dolled up. And maybe for the fake Beatles. That part was funny.