John C. Reilly Shines in Over-Stuffed Parody of Music Through the Decades

Rating: 7/10 (25 July 2011)

Here is a lesser known gem of the Judd Apatow's produced comedies. It didn't get the attention that 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, or SUPERBAD received, but it's plenty funny. I honestly can't even remember this film going to theaters, so it must've snuck in and out pretty quietly without a whole lot of marketing. Apatow and writer/director Jake Kasdan bring the usual flavor of Apatow's comedies to this spoof of musical biopics that have flooded theaters in recent years. Everything from RAY to WALK THE LINE to Oliver Stone's THE DOORS are parodied. The film's musical hero is Dewey Cox, who takes up music after accidentally killing his brother with a machete and being shunned by his father. Dewey hits it big after his first major song "Walk Hard" hits the airwaves and the film tackles all of the most oft repeated staples of music bio pics: infidelity, drug abuse, rehab, and the golden realization in the end. Except here it's all done for laughs with plenty of quotable dialogue, a load of great cameos, and some surprisingly good music. It's not the most amazing comedy in recent years but it's loaded with laughs.
Just as with 2010's GET HIM TO THE Greek, music is a major part of the movie here and the filmmakers did not skimp out. They've gone through the trouble of giving Dewey Cox a wide selection of songs ranging from country to psychedelic and everything in between as Cox's style changes with the times. And they aren't just throwaway songs cobbled together without thought...most of the songs are actually pretty good, and nearly always funny. The crazy part: star John C. Reilly did all the vocals himself, proving not only that he should've been given leading man status a while ago (the man's easily funny enough to carry his own film) but he's got some musical talent (though I acknowledge it had to have benefited from some post-work). Reilly is great in this film and, while he's shown strength for dramatic roles, he really shines in comedy. He has a knack for the immature and goes wild as Cox struggles with the problems that come with his fame and fortune.
The film's got plenty of laughs. SNL alumni Tim Meadows provides some of the best moments as Dewey's drummer Sam, who acts as Dewey's gateway introduction into every manner of drug ("You don't want no part of this, Dewey!"). My favorite part of the film comes in the 60's when Dewey joins the Beatles (Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Justin Long, and Jason Schwartzman) in India for some meditation and LSD. I wish I could say the laughs were non-stop but the film suffers from some repetition that drags it down. Dewey's on-again/off-again relationship with the love of his life Darlene (the gorgeous Jenna Fischer) and his repeated trips to rehab begin to feel like a gag that won't quit and it makes the movie feel at least a half hour longer than it should be. It becomes even more apparent if you watch the admittedly self-indulgent director's cut. It all eventually boils down to a series of gags as Dewey experiences every major decade/fad in music. There's plenty to laugh at but I think the filmmakers tried to fit too much into one movie.