I was extremely excited to see Weird: The Al Yankovic Story when I heard it was being made, but still knew nothing about it and thought that it was going to be a more traditional biopic about the life of Weird Al. Then someone pointed out this was going to be a comedy written by Al himself. I was even more excited because I've always connected to his sense of humor both on his albums and in the movie/TV appearances I've seen with him. The end result is something that is definitely entertaining and I'm glad I was able to watch it on the day it first released. However, I can't say it quite lived up to the level of hype I had built up for myself. I did love the fact that they poked fun at the tedium and predictability of modern music biopics. Making an accordion a taboo akin to heavy drugs or sex was perfect to deliver some big laughs. Every interaction between Weird Al and his parents was great at the beginning and the end. The reveal of the father's past was everything you expect from this kind of film, but with the ridiculous twist that this movie demands.
They went quite heavy-handed with the implication of how Weird Al came up with the parody lyrics, but I think you are intended to get there almost 5 minutes before he does. They also steer so far from reality in the plot that there's no real way to find a kernel of truth that might actually be how these parody albums (that so many of us love) were created. I was good with Daniel Radcliffe's performance in the film, as he does a fine job of getting into this goofy character. However, I was really put off by how obvious it was that he wasn't singing the songs. He is made up to look like Weird Al, but he never sounds like him. I almost wonder if the film would have just been funnier if Al himself had taken on the role, not even speaking to the fact that he's an older man playing himself as a young man. (Of course that would have taken away one of the funniest scenes in the film with Al and Will Forte, so I guess the trade-off is worthwhile.) I just know exactly how Weird Al sounds when singing, so when his voice is coming out of Radcliffe's mouth, I'm taken out of the film.
In almost a callback to UHF, as Weird: The Al Yankovic Story goes on, things become increasingly over-the-top. The heavily publicized relationship with "Madonna" is the most outrageous aspect of the film, and goes to an insane extreme that you don't expect going in. I was less invested in this part of the movie, and didn't find the comedy to be as laugh-out-loud funny as the more subtle humor moments. There are still little pieces of this nonsense that made me smile, but I found myself thinking "When are we getting back to the music?" I don't want to sound too down on this movie, because it can come across that way when something doesn't quite live up to my expectations. There were a number of amazing scenes that have made me anxious to watch this movie again. One in particular includes an abundance of cameos that are hilarious (both in the famous people that show up and the people who play them.) I do think fans of Weird Al should watch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, because it is like a parody song version of the usual musical biopic, and there's more that works in it comedically than there are things that fail.
They went quite heavy-handed with the implication of how Weird Al came up with the parody lyrics, but I think you are intended to get there almost 5 minutes before he does. They also steer so far from reality in the plot that there's no real way to find a kernel of truth that might actually be how these parody albums (that so many of us love) were created. I was good with Daniel Radcliffe's performance in the film, as he does a fine job of getting into this goofy character. However, I was really put off by how obvious it was that he wasn't singing the songs. He is made up to look like Weird Al, but he never sounds like him. I almost wonder if the film would have just been funnier if Al himself had taken on the role, not even speaking to the fact that he's an older man playing himself as a young man. (Of course that would have taken away one of the funniest scenes in the film with Al and Will Forte, so I guess the trade-off is worthwhile.) I just know exactly how Weird Al sounds when singing, so when his voice is coming out of Radcliffe's mouth, I'm taken out of the film.
In almost a callback to UHF, as Weird: The Al Yankovic Story goes on, things become increasingly over-the-top. The heavily publicized relationship with "Madonna" is the most outrageous aspect of the film, and goes to an insane extreme that you don't expect going in. I was less invested in this part of the movie, and didn't find the comedy to be as laugh-out-loud funny as the more subtle humor moments. There are still little pieces of this nonsense that made me smile, but I found myself thinking "When are we getting back to the music?" I don't want to sound too down on this movie, because it can come across that way when something doesn't quite live up to my expectations. There were a number of amazing scenes that have made me anxious to watch this movie again. One in particular includes an abundance of cameos that are hilarious (both in the famous people that show up and the people who play them.) I do think fans of Weird Al should watch Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, because it is like a parody song version of the usual musical biopic, and there's more that works in it comedically than there are things that fail.