Decent Movie About an Unworthy Subject

Rating: Null/10 (22 December 1999)

While Jim Carrey does a remarkable job of imitating Andy Kaufman, and the movie is somewhat enjoyable (in a formulaic, hero-worshiping manner), it is majorly affected by the facts about the person it concerns. In the end, the biggest flaw of "Man on the Moon" is its subject matter.
The fact is, Andy Kaufman was not funny or particularly talented. His entire repertoire consisted of insulting his audience, making fun of people who don't speak English, and being rude. Mr. Kaufman professed that he was an "alternative entertainer" - as Andy Dick observed, that means he didn't entertain.
The best quote in the movie is when the Kaufman character says, "I'm not going to get up on stage and tell jokes!" Well, guess what, Mr. Kaufman - that's what a comedian does. That's rather like a doctor saying, "I'm not going to go in there and practice medicine! I think they'd much prefer it if I insulted them and tried to get them in a headlock!"
Mr. Kaufman's lack of talent led to his expulsion from the normal haven for the talent-challenged: Saturday Night Live. Mr. Kaufman's lack of talent kept him from being able to get lucrative gigs after the novelty of his particular form of inanity had worn off. There are those who say, "He made me laugh with the Mighty Mouse bit", or "I chuckled at his performances on Taxi". Well, Uncle Fred might make you giggle by making noises with his hand and armpit, but that doesn't mean he's a great entertainer.
As a biopic, this movie is extremely slanted - it takes the few moments where Mr. Kaufman actually made an audience laugh (generally out of nervous confusion rather than actual enjoyment), inflates them to gross proportions as sappy music swells in the background, and the viewer is left with the belief that Mr. Kaufman was a great entertainer. But if you watch any of the many tapes of his "performances", or listen to any of the people who worked with him or saw him perform, you'll get the true picture of what this man was - a hack.
Jim Carrey said he took the role because Kaufman was an "inspiration" to him. As entertainment-seekers, we can only hope that's not true.