This rambunctious and funny musical comedy from producer-writer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) and director Jake Kasdan (The TV Set) is a very pleasing entertainment! They have put together a clever spoof of all the clichés that show up in that popular film staple, the musical biopics (Walk the Line and Ray are the most recent examples.).
As a young boy Dewey Cox (Conner Rayburn) is severely traumatized when he accidentally slices his talented and smart brother in half with a machete when they are engaged in a mock battle in the family's barn. His father (Raymond J. Barry) spends the rest of his life saying that the wrong son died. Nonetheless, the determined Dewey (John C. Reilly) learns the guitar and sets his sights on becoming a star. At age fourteen, he wins a local talent show.
The saga of Dewey goes through every twist and turn you might expect in this kind of film. Dewey marries his high school sweetheart, who becomes a baby machine. After he stands in for the headliner at an African-American club, he gets a contract with Planet Records, and establishes himself with the hit "Walk Hard." On the road, he has many affairs and falls in love with Darlene (Jennna Fischer), a beautiful backup singer; their duets are filled with sexual references.
Apatow and Kasdan hit high stride in their satire when Dewey has a brief encounter with the legendary Elvis Presley, travels to India where he meets the Beatles, gets caught up in the 60s protest movement (espousing the cause of midgets), and fights off a slew of addictions in various rehab centers. The musical parodies are a sheer delight, and John C. Reilly carries the movie with a larky presence that mirrors the playfulness of a life devoted to music and performance.
Special DVD features include a commentary with actor John C. Reilly, writer Judd Apatow, and director Jake Kasdan; deleted and extended scenes; full song performances and musical performances; featurettes: "The music of Walk Hard" and "The Real Dewey Cox"; Line-O-Rama; a "Christmas Song" from Dewey Cox; and "The Last Word" with John Hodgman feature.
