Anchorman. 40-Year-Old Virgin. Talladega Nights. Knocked Up. Superbad. It’s safe to say that Judd Apatow has had the Midas touch lately. He’s managed to either write/direct or write/produce films that range from completely silly to bawdily funny but grounded in reality. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story is his latest writing effort, and it treads on new ground for Apatow: the musical. The spoof of music biopics like Walk the Line and Ray seems like perfect fodder for Apatow’s signature wit. But can it live up to it’s predecessors and fulfill the lofty expectations?
In short: not quite. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pretty funny. And the music is fantastic, ranging from Buddy Holly-esque teeny bopper ballads to Dylan protest songs and mariachi-infused prison songs. But overall it just doesn’t live up to it’s predecessors or the hype. A lot of the jokes hit, but too many of them fall flat. And at times it slips into Scary Movie-style spoof. But it made me laugh, the soundtrack is good, and Jenna Fischer is hot. So it’s a winner in my book.
Dewey Cox - Guilty As Charged
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