Apparently the writers thought Fred was so inherently funny they barely bothered to write jokes for him - and then thought those jokes were so funny they didn't need well-timed delivery.
Comment
06/27/08
The Foot Fist Way (2008)
58 %
Reviews Counted: 60 Fresh: 35 Rotten:25 Average Rating: 5.7/10
Consensus:
The rough edges and biting humor of this martial arts comedy will keep audiences laughing and cringing in turns.
Rated: R [See Full Rating]
Runtime: 87 mins
Theatrical Release: May 30, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $184,510
Synopsis: The literal translation of "Tae Kwan Do," THE FOOT FIST WAY is a hilarious look at a suburban North Carolina strip mall martial arts school run by a bullying egotist (Danny McBride). Shot on the cheap (in just 19 days), the film uses its shortcomings to its advantage, keeping the action low, the... [More]
Genre: Karate
Starring: Danny R. McBride, Ben Best, Mary-Jane Bostic, Mary Jane Bostic
Screenwriter: Jody Hill, Jody Hill, Danny McBride, Danny R. McBride, Ben Best, Ben Best
Producer: Jody Hill, Erin Gates, Robbie Hill, Jennifer Chikes
Composer: Pyramid
Producer: Jody Hill, Erin Gates, Robbie Hill, Jennifer Chikes
Composer: Pyramid
Reviews
This comedy clocks in around 90 minutes. Yet somehow it still feels too long and overly padded -- as if it were a sketch-comedy show bit that was stretched out to feature length.
06/26/08
A semi-hilarious nonformula movie that makes you realize why formulas are born.
06/20/08
Built out of the 'asshole as hero' mode of amusement...The Foot Fist Way is a collection of contradictory ideals gelling effortlessly into a smart, savvy whole.
06/19/08
A low-budget wannabe cult comedy shot three years ago, only recently graduating from underground DVD circulation to a small theatrical release. It should've stayed in obscurity.
06/19/08
A raucous and often very funny examination of a man who is a loser in every possible respect.
06/13/08
A very cool comedy based on character -- real, and really self-deluded characters -- and not on shtick.
06/12/08
Top Critic
Everything feels like it sprang from an all-night, cola-fueled brainstorm, so every bit slips easily away, usually after generating a grin or two, if not many laughs.
06/12/08
Boasting outrageous laughs and a performance with real heart beneath its dim-bulb exterior, The Foot Fist Way is a ragged delight.
06/12/08
Top Critic
Fred is a sadder, more recognizable version of Ferrell characters like Ricky Bobby or Ron Burgundy, a pompous manchild with delusions of masculine dominance.
06/08/08
McBride sells the character with a straight face at all times, making it that much harder to watch when Simmons settles into full-fledged train-wreck mode.
06/07/08
Some bits fall flat well before they're driven into the ground, such as when Simmons tries to seduce a new female student. Others are painfully telegraphed so that when the payoff arrives, you've anticipated the blow and have become inured to it.
06/06/08
Morning zoo radio DJs can rejoice: You'll be mining quotes from this movie for the next several decades.
06/06/08
Top Critic
We've all met this guy or someone close, and that makes him all the more deserving of that derision and a bit of empathy, too.
06/06/08
Once we relax into the fact that not much is going to happen, we can enjoy the film's little moments of nutso inspiration.
06/06/08
Top Critic
It's also pretty funny at times, even if its central joke wears thin.
06/06/08
Top CriticRelated Forums
(2008 release/Rated R)-THE FOOT FIST WAY starts Friday, May 30th in FOUR big theaters
by: ReelReviewer.com 7/19
by: ReelReviewer.com 7/19
Holy ****!
by: MillinOnFire! 1/27/06
by: MillinOnFire! 1/27/06
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Danny McBride, Jody Hill & Ben Best
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