[Editor’s Note: HEAVY spoilers throughout. If you are interested. See the movie first. It’s a good fucking time. On with the show]
As mentioned before, Weird Al is one of those foundational artists for me. Al is a champion who should be celebrated long after we are all gone.
I believe I have consumed everything he has ever done and continues to do. So, I remember when someone sent me this right after it came out YEARS ago.
This was in the glory days of Funny or Die. And I loved it. Like when other people shared The Landlord. I sent them this.
So, it was just, something I loved. And life moved on.
Never in my wildest fucking dreams did I expect one day to have THIS come across my transom.
WTF? They did it? 10 years later? They actually made a film of the same fake trailer?
Yup. Same director/writer, just had Al join him in the writing process.
I was….concerned. Taking one bit and making it into a feature is a risky prospect to say the least. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but hey, it was the best price of all. Fucking free. So why not?
I shouldn’t have been worried. This is a great fucking time.
Ok, to get it out of the way, the main beats from the original Funny or Die show up here to where in the first like 10 min or so, I was worried they were going to run out of steam.
But no, oh no.
This is easily one of the dumbest movies I have seen in a decade or more. And I say that lovingly. I am not sure people appreciate stupid the way they should. This movie wallows in that world of silly dumb jokes, and it makes the experience a blast.
Oh also, we are STUFFED, OVERSTUFFED with cameos. I think every single part is a friend of Al or someone who really has no business playing a bit part. And everyone is fucking chewing the scenery. Like Al Pacino in the Irishman or Michael Sheen in the Twilight franchise. Like Daniel Radcliff is out here doing Weird Al completely straight, but even he has his scenery chewing moments.
The highlight of the film is the last half. Mainly cause I saw that funny or die trailer? I mean maybe thats to cute, but the last half I loved more than the first half. Or maybe its just that it goes completely off the rails. Takes what we had and doubles down.
There are…flaws. The script in part does have jokes that fall flat. But, we move on so quick that it recovers fast. Or someone’s execution is so outlandish it overcomes it. Sometimes it doesn’t….and rarely. And I mean rarely…it comes off corny.
And this movie is CHEAP. For the most part you don’t notice it, because they do a really good job using existing buildings and sets to add value. But like any of the CG scenes or one or two of the set pieces definitely feel like they filmed it for $3.50.
But neither of those are a detriment to what they are trying to do. Its not a bug, its a feature, as they say.
And the ending is just…excellent. Can’t ask for better.
3/4 – No excuse not to see it. Shit’s free.
It’s exactly what it needed to be. No more. No less. Well done.