reasonably entertaining parody

Rating: Null/10 (20 July 2011)

"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" is a parody not only of "Walk the Line" and similar musical biopics – replete with the seemingly inevitable dead kid brother (see also "Ray") - but of musical styles and pop-culture trends as they have evolved over the past half-century.
The movie starts in the 1950s as a young backwater hick named Dewey Cox (John C. Reilly), an Elvis Presley-style crooner, takes the country by storm with his hit single "Walk Hard." From there it's on to fame as a Dylan-inspired protest singer, a turn as a disco-diva, and, finally, the wizened recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in his 70s. And, along the way, of course, there are the inevitable bouts with drug addiction, the time spent in prison and rehab, a wife ("SNL"'s Kristen Wiig) left at home to raise the kids, a mistress (Jenna Fischer from "The Office") who's his one true-love and who stands by him no matter what, endless arguments with his managers and fellow band mates, groupies and orgies for the taking, furniture- and crockery-smashing tantrums, songwriter's block, stardom as a 1970's TV variety-show host – you name it, it's in here. There's even a hilarious encounter with the late-era Beatles, who seem well on their way to cutting each others' throats, let alone splitting up the band.
All of this is, of course, played for laughs. Written by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, and directed by Kasdan, "Walk Hard" is never more than passably entertaining, filled with as many jokes that fall flat as those that rise to the occasion. It's definitely not up there with the best of their work. Still, a 50/50 ratio isn't a particularly bad one as far as mainstream comedies go these days, and Reilly is so good as Dewey that he makes even the lesser moments more-or-less ignorable. There are also fun turns by Raymond J. Barry, Margo Martindale, Chris Parnell, Harold Ramis, Jane Lynch, and many others. Moreover, the music (by Michael Andrews) and singing (who knew you had it in you, Mr. Reilly?) are both terrific, and they alone are worth the price of admission.