Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story review

The following review must be
sung out loud in a thick American accent
and accompanied by some jangly country
’n’ western guitar. Sorry…

From producer-du-jour Judd Apatow,
comes another comedy cash cow.
Spoofing Walk The Line and the tiresome Ray,
in a one-note but hilarious way.

John C Reilly is Dewey Cox,
who decides that country music rocks.
A childhood tragedy sets the stage,
as little Dewey comes of age.

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It’s crude but you do have to laugh,
when he cuts his big brother in half.
His father insists “the wrong kid died”,
a joke on which the writers over-relied…

Cox achieves great things,
scoring drugs ’n’ girls as he sings.
Icons and styles are given a kicking,
from Orbison’s dress sense to Dylan’s whining.

Reilly is terrific as Cox,
though occasionally the crassness shocks.
There are jokes about every orifice,
with the girl from the US Office.

Director Jake Kasdan made The TV Set,
and cult classic Zero Effect.
Son of Lawrence, he’ll go far,
for casting Jason Schwartzman as Ringo Starr.

The Beatles cameo has Jack Black, too,
as a fat Paul McCartney from “Liverpooool.”
The LSD set-piece is as terrific,
as Paul Rudd’s accent is horrific.

The pace only flags when Cox hits the skids,
spending more time with his kids.
The jokes are more thick than fast,
but when the gags work, they last.

The tunes and lyrics are spot-on,
as Johnny Cash as they come.
Michael Andrews did the score,
he deserves an Oscar and an encore.

So funny it will make you weep,
though it’s not especially deep.
Prepare to laugh lots and lots,
you’ve never met anyone like Dewey Cox.