The Foot Fist Way found its legs thanks to Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, two people that had nothing to do with the film outside of watching it. Yet when they were given the film and proclaimed it amazing and said they had watched it at least 20 times a movement was born. Guess what, it is a movement I want no part of.
Foot Fist Way can easily be compared to any redneck reality television show you can find on any one of the 3 billion TV stations that are available now. Watching people play idiots that do stupid things is not comedy. It is not inventive. It is not anything as much as it just “is”. This film exists for no other reason than to simply exist. As much as I can’t explain why a gnat has any reason to exist, the same can be said for this film.
Following the life of Tae Kwon Do instructor Fred Simmons (Danny McBride) as he watches his wife cheat on him and his idols fall, we spend most of our time watching him teach a class of relatively normal students. Simmons is a self-absorbed and dimwitted prick, best known for saying all the wrong things at the wrong time. You will get a couple of chuckles while watching this supposed comedy, but I can’t see the fascination beyond that point.
In all honesty, if this film was given to me and I was not aware it was a comedy I would think it was some half-assed documentary for the “Jerry Springer Show” considering that’s how it was shot. I certainly wouldn’t be watching it “at least 20 times” and I think that alone tells me why I have failed to connect with the majority of Will Ferrell’s projects or either of Adam McKay’s. Yet I will have another chance at a collaboration of theirs with Step Brothers later this year.
I am sure a few will find Foot Fist Way hilarious. I didn’t find it to be particularly much of anything, “just there” is a satisfying description for me. There is no reason for it to exist, but if you watch it I also can’t say it will cause you irreparable harm.
