Every junior-high geek's worst nightmare becomes a reality in this comedy. John Farley (Seann William Scott) grew up as a chubby kid with no athletic skills and poor self-esteem, and during his early teenage years his nemesis was Mr. Woodcock (Billy Bob Thornton), his junior-high gym teacher, who took a sadistic glee in tormenting John and others like them. Years later, John has slimmed down, come to terms with his self-image, and become a best-selling author, publishing a self-help book on
overcoming the specters of the past. John comes home to visit his widowed mother, Beverly (Susan Sarandon), and discovers she has a surprise for him -- she's getting married again, and her new fiancée is none other than Mr. Woodcock. Horrified, John is determined to keep Beverly from walking down the aisle with Woodcock, and along the way finds himself struggling to settle some old scores. Mr. Woodcock also stars Amy Poehler as John's publicist and Ethan Suplee as John's old friend Needleman. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Between Mr. Thornton's wry performance and Tami Reiker's nuanced wide-screen photography, you half-expect Woodcock to deliver more than formulaic laughs.
This movie makes a much better case study for aspiring entertainment executives than it does a cinematic experience. What it most emphatically is not is a date movie.
This film apparently sat around for a few years before being released. It's unlikely to make waves now, but Thornton and Scott do set off a few entertaining ripples.
Mr. Woodcock is often as juvenile and predictable as its title suggests. Yet, this dark comedy about a self-help author plotting revenge on his sadistic former gym coach gets honest laughs because of performances that ring universally true.
we're stuck with Amy Poehler telling us she's an alcoholic and an unaware Susan Sarandon watching two men act like idiots, which unfortunately isn't funny at all.
Apparently, Billy Bob Thornton has embraced the idea of appealing to the lowest possible common denominator. How else can you explain his presence in another bad taste bottom-feeder which might have been better titled Bad Gym Teacher, ala Bad Santa?
Has the mark of something dashed off after reading what dozens of screenwriting manuals had to say about the marketplace and the three-act paradigm, but not one word about characterization or dramatic unity.
If you're looking for Billy Bob Thornton's worst film, Mr. Woodcock is probably the one. I felt that Mr. Woodcock lacked anything funny or interesting that would make it a memorable comedy. The acting here sucks, and both Sean William Scott and Billy Bob Thornton give lazy performances and are actually quite boring to
watch. The laughs are minimal. The film fails on being anything effective in its humor. The jokes feel forced, uninspired and they get old very quick. The acting suffers as well, and Thornton basically plays the same character he's played in previous films. With the exception with a rewrite, Thornton's character in this film is no different than previous characters that he's played. I felt that Mr. Woodcock was a missed opportunity to create a good comedy, and it might have worked if the story didn't really rely on Billy Bob's usual asshole image. Unfortunately the film relies only on that, instead of focusing on other elements which could have improved the film significantly. The film could have been a memorable comedy, and Billy Bob is a funny guy, but the script is too sloppy and unimpressive to really be entertaining. This is one of the weakest comedies starring Billy Bob Thornton, he's the right guy for this type of role, but the film relies too much on his asshole persona and doesn't do anything to really make the film interesting by exploring other ideas with plot.
October 10, 2011
Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski
Super Reviewer
An average comedy with a strong cast line up. Pretty much run of the mill jokes about the son who disapproves of his Mum's new man. It turns out to be the gym instructor who made his life hell at school. Has a few funny moments but not nearly enough of them, especially for the talented line up!
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