Entertaining enough, but...

Rating: 6/10 (20 January 2008)

Hmm... I must admit, I am a bit torn with regard to "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story".
The idea of this movie was fine. A parody biopic covering the career of singer Dewey Cox and detailing his struggles with fame, family and 'interesting substances'. As the film progresses you see his career develop through rock 'n' roll (psycho Elvis!), rockabilly, folk protest (a brilliant and incomprehensible Dylan impersonation), psychedelic pop (the best Brian Wilson/Beach Boys/"Smile" mickey take of all time), cheesy family entertainment and the final unveiling of his musical masterpiece.
I liked the spot on musical parodies. I liked the surprising cameos from some very known faces playing musical icons (Elvis, Buddy Holly and the totally priceless meditating with the Beatles section). I liked the extremely game cast - Jenna Fishcher (Where has she been all my life? I don't suppose anybody has got her phone number, have they?), Tim Meadows ("You don't want to try this sh*t!") and the grave and brilliant Raymond J. Barry ("The wrong son died!") All good.
But, and it's a big but...
"Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" just wasn't funny enough. Maybe if a more scatter shot approach had been applied a la "Airplane", "Top Secret!" or "The Naked Gun" (throw a hundred jokes at the screen and some of them will stick), the film might have been funnier? I don't know. As it was I would have to say that I came out thinking that "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" was entertaining enough, but was nothing I would be inclined to stay in to watch on TV again.
I got to thinking about John C. Reilly in the lead. He is a fine supporting actor, and a fine character actor, and he certainly tried hard, but he is not a leading man and especially not in a comedy. I came out of the cinema wondering what somebody like Will Ferrell might have done with the role and this is from not the greatest Will Ferrell fan in the world.
No fears, "This Is Spinal Tap". The greatest parody music flick of all time award still belongs to you.