Walk Hard... away from this movie

Rating: 5/10 (29 September 2008)

I don't ask for much from a comedy. If it makes me laugh, I'm happy. This movie did not. There's a point about an hour and twenty minutes into the movie (in the Extended Cut) where the stage manager asks if Cox will be reminiscing for much longer, to which Cox's drummer replies something like, "He's only up to the seventies yet." I felt like Michael Corleone: "Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in". Nevertheless, I stuck it out to the bitter end and had a couple of chuckles along the way. However, a handful of chuckles isn't nearly enough to sustain this two hour 'comedy'.
On the surface, "Walk Hard" seems promising. The script was co-written by Judd Apatow ("The 40 Year Old Virgin", "Knocked Up") and John C. Reilly stars in the title role. Unfortunately the film proved to be as hilarious as a swift kick in the gonads. My main problem with the humour is that it's incredibly stupid, obvious and repetitious. How many times do I need to see Dewey rip a sink off the wall? How many times do I need to hear his father say, "The wrong son died"? It certainly doesn't help that the vast majority of the jokes are just plain unfunny. Cox accidentally chops his brother in half with machete? He goes 'smell blind'? Believe me, I could go on and on. Even if you're wise to all or most of the movie/music references the laughs are still few and far between.
The cast has some notable & semi-notable names but when even John C. Reilly doesn't deliver a solid performance you know you're in trouble. To be fair, though, I don't think that this film is a good fit for his talents. Also disappointing is Jenna Fischer and just about everyone else for that matter. The short Beatles segment (only mildly funny despite several in-jokes) is worth mentioning because it includes Jack Black providing the worst Paul McCartney you're ever likely to see.
The best thing that I can say about the movie (besides that it eventually ends) is that it looks pretty close to the movies it apes. The music, on the other hand, is hit and miss. The title song is completely forgettable though there are a few notable tunes, such as the innocuous 'Devil music' ballad "Take My Hand" and the politically flammable "(Mama) You Got to Love Your Negro Man".
In the end, I can't possibly recommend this movie unless your only alternative is to spend the time watching paint dry. Walk Hard? This movie crawls.