Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical
Best Original Song Motion Picture
Really? Two?
Well, I can say this - John C. Reilly did a great job, but if you're familiar with any of Judd Apatow's earlier comedies, then John C. Reilly is all the movie really offered. The Apatow formula is getting a bit redundant - almost annoying. Don't get me wrong - I love stupid-funny, in fact I think that's the only sense of humor I have hard-wired in me. Nonetheless, I feel that the style of comedy that Apatow constantly rolls off his assembly line is becoming a cookie-cutter experience to the point where it's not as funny as it has the potential to be. Besides, after the Farrelly Bros., everything he's shown me so far has been done before and has been done better.
Overall
Other than that, I thought the movie delivered what I expected. The writing had some highlights as far as stupid-funny goes. I love the recurring line recited from Dewey's father in every scene he appears in, along with the actual name-saying for characters and situations (ie. calling every Beatle by his first and last name just so the audience knows who is supposed to be who, or squeezing in the age of characters to clue in the audience, or an obviously old 14-year old Dewey surrounded by his young bandmates). Although I expected more from Apatow with the power of John C. Reilly behind him, this is a fun movie to pass the time and to have a good laugh or two.
