An average movie at best

Rating: 7/10 (28 December 1999)

I'm not sure exactly what to make of the latest Jim Carrey film, Man on the Moon. I can only assume that the film seeks to provide insight into the life of Andy Kaufman (Carrey); show something of the man behind the act. If that's the case, I am also forced to assume that writers Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski just didn't have much information to work with.
For example, we learn very little of Kaufman's relationship with girlfriend Lynne Margulies (Courtney Love). And as for the film's habit of revealing every single one of Kaufman's acts as fakes, mere practical jokes on the viewer, there aren't many people left who don't know that for themselves.
The main problem with the movie is that much of it is simply recreations of Kaufman's varied acts, from the Saturday Night Live "Mighty Mouse" routine, to different clips from "Taxi," to his wrestling performances with Jerry Lawler. Carrey is an admirable Kaufman, becoming the late comedian so well that one forgets it's Jim Carrey up there. But so what? Anyone going to see the movie is probably familiar with Kaufman's act, and if they're not they probably won't find it that funny.
I don't have much to say about this movie. The basic plot simply runs through Kaufman's life from the time he gets his big break via George Shapiro (Danny DeVito), through "Taxi," which he never really wanted to do, through his (entirely staged) run-ins with Jerry Lawler, and finally through his death. The movie's ending is left intentionally ambiguous. Did Andy Kaufman fake his own death? Is the king of convincing pranks pulling a huge one on the world? Probably not. But it's something to think about as you leave the movie.
Because not much else in it is particularly thought-provoking. B-