The Foot Fist Way

Copyright 2008, Paramount Vantage

Danny McBride has become a staple in the Judd Apatow stable of late, popping up in Drillbit Taylor, Pineapple Express, and others. Hell, he's about to have his own HBO comedy, so McBride's star is as high now as it's ever been. In every way, that success is likely thanks to his starring role in the extremely low-budget black comedy The Foot Fist Way, where he plays Fred Simmons, a crude and mean Taekwondo instructor in North Carolina.

There's little actual plot here, as McBride uses his brusque and brutal talents to good use here; sometimes his Simmons is funny, sometimes he's awkward, sometimes he's just wrong. I can't say I laughed a lot at this movie, but I'd bet that co-writer/director Jody Hill doesn't want me to laugh nonstop. Imagine if Ron Burgundy had no friends, no real friends. He might be something close to Fred Simmons. Simmons is married to a buxom blonde who doesn't love him that much, or at all, as her indiscretion early in the film launches Simmons into a downward spiral. We have seen him working at Taekwondo with his students, young and old. This he loves, but much else in life is pointless, with the exception of the movies starring Chuck "The Truck" Wallace, a Steven Seagal-esque cheeseball star who's capitalized on his fame by making appearances at rinky-dink hotel conventions for far too much money. When Simmons and the Truck meet each other, they certainly clash, but not in the expected ways.

The Foot Fist Way is extremely hit-or-miss, but it's funny, mostly because McBride is charming, kind of. Depending on your build, he might kick your ass, but that's only if you do or say anything he's against...which is pretty much anything. Either way, this is funny enough to watch, but not funny enough to watch, as producers Will Ferrell and Adam McKay say they did, 20 times. But, hey, everyone's got their cult comedy; this one's not a bad choice.

Three stars out of four