63
Metascore
32 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenA pitch-perfect musical comedy that at long last moves the talented John C. Reilly up the billing ladder from second banana to top banana.
- 75Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe movie walks the line of surreal vulgarity (you will not, repeat not, expect the penis), yet most of it, intentionally, is less nutzoid than your average megaplex genre parody.
- 75Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldSeattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldJohn C. Reilly, with his homely face and mop of curly hair, has been the movies' second banana of choice since his debut in 1989's "Casualties o War." In the comedy, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," he finally gets a starring role and he rises to the challenge.
- 70The New York TimesManohla DargisThe New York TimesManohla DargisThe film is more funny ha-ha than LOL; it’s a smarty-pants satire that mocks and embraces almost every cliché in the biography playbook.
- 63Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversThe tricky thing about parody movies is that the jokes get old fast and they're hit-and-miss. Walk Hard, a spoof of every musical biopic from "Ray" to "Walk the Line," is guilty on both counts. How lucky that when the jokes do hit, they kick major ass.
- 63Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsChicago TribuneMichael PhillipsThe tunes are so good, you can’t believe the film itself doesn’t amount to more, especially with the rightness of the casting. Still, a few laughs are better than none.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliFor those who enjoy the saturation style of humor and appreciate the way in which parody is not pushed too far into the absurd, Walk Hard is not without merit.
- 60VarietyBrian LowryVarietyBrian LowryStrums the genre for considerable laughs, with John C. Reilly playing the title balladeer from teen to senior citizen, generating enough goodwill to offset the flat sections and a decidedly juvenile streak.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceThis burlesque of biopic clichés flounders from one setup to the next without the engine that drives the genre: a strong central character.
- 38Charlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanCharlotte ObserverLawrence ToppmanThe film is a saggy, oddly mean-spirited takeoff of "Walk the Line."