The Foot Fist Way

I came to this movie with talk of it being hilarious, brilliant and having apparently been the toast of Sundance. I didn't totally believe all the hype, mainly because that's always what the majority of such talk is, but I did have hopes that the film would be good at what it tries to do. Taking its lead from the painfully flawed David Brent in The Office, The Foot Fist Way focuses on taekwondo teacher Fred Simmons as he leads his class to be (perhaps) as good as him, fails to control his cheating wife and idolises taekwondo champion and film star Chuck "the truck" Wallace. In terms of narrative flow there isn't really much that justifies discussion because, rightly, the story is only a frame within which to put the character study of an arrogant man who has zero self-awareness. In this there is a lot of potential and accordingly the best parts of the film are not specific events or plot points but just little moments that remind the viewer what a self-important and embarrassingly pompous man we are watching.

It is not something you'll never have seen before of course and the many other variations will show you how painfully funny (and painfully painful) that this sort of thing can be, whether it is Spinal Tap or David Brent. Problem is with the Foot Fist Way is that it feels like a really good idea that has not been fully carried out. So there are moments which are both painful and funny but then there are also lots of scenes that are just surprisingly straightforward, failing to either be funny or to be insightful in regards the character of Fred. It is a shame but it does mean that the film is distinctly average. Even at a short running time of 83 minutes, the film still struggles and surprised me by feeling much longer – it should have sprinted and been over before you knew what was happening.

No fault to McBride though, he feels natural and is convincing in his character. As one of those involved in the writing he does share some responsibility though because the script just doesn't give him enough to work with often enough. He is the whole film though and when he has the material then it is at its best. Bostic is a good "white-trash" cliché but is surprisingly wooden for the majority. Best's turn is funny and produces some narrative drive but also has the detrimental effect of jostling for time with the comedy character study which I thought the film should have stuck with. The style of delivery could have been different and, although some say it is overused, I think the "making a documentary" approach would have worked in the favour of the material as we have seen countless other times.

I wanted to really like this film because you can see the potential but sadly it is never fully realised. This doesn't make for a terrible film though and it does still have its moments where things work but mostly I felt like it was a big case of "close but no cigar" in regards the script and the delivery. It is OK and perhaps worth a look on television but there are much better versions of the same idea out there, many of which leave this film looking distinctively average.

Cute silliness about a local strip-mall Tae Kwon Do dojang owner who never grew up. From his abuse of his children pupils to his choice in wives he is stunted. It shouldn't be funny to see his pain but it's hilarious. Well done.

If you're looking for dumb kind of humor like in "anchorman" or "zoolander" , or any of Adam Sandlers stuff you will be disappointed - this low budget flick is completely different - kinda a gulp of fresh air I must say - it's truthful, believable and even artsy to some degree. Most of jokes are concentrated on deep sarcasm and irony and if that's your cup of tee - I think you'll love it like I did. This movie shows you that you don't need to go over the top to be funny and you don't need to follow clichés to bring up some message. Of-course, it has some pretty dumb moments by itself, but they come just at the right time and don't ruin the atmosphere at all. I'm not saying that it's a masterpiece, but I think it is at least worth checking out. I would recommend it if you have some spare time to waste.

I am always amazed at how hard it is to make a decent low budget comedy. One would think that comedies and dramas would be the easiest genres to film on a limited budget, yet time and time again, they fail to deliver.

After hearing such amazing buzz for The Foot Fist Way, I was very excited to see if this "little comedy that could" would actually deliver. The result, however, was a very mixed bag.

The acting is very good for a film of this caliber, except for the woman who plays the adulterous wife. During several scenes at the beginning of the film, she is shocking bad, and it takes away from the believability of the scenes.

The comedy, when it hits, is very funny... but it is quite obvious why Will Ferell has put so much praise on this film. It is essentially a very vulgar no-budget version of one of his films. The Tae Kwon Do instructor is essentially playing Will Ferell, playing this character. At times, he's very funny - but its nothing groundbreaking.

The film really disappoints in its pacing. Every outcome is extremely obvious, and many scenes go on for way too long. One scene in particular, in which the instructor tries to come on to a female student, really outlasts its welcome and goes from mildly amusing to aggravating by its end. The final scene, meant to feel somewhat victorious, comes off flat and humorless.

The Foot Fist Way does deliver some very good belly laughs from time to time, but sadly comes out like most low-budget comedies. Its sad to say, but had this project been given a Hollywood budget, a script polish, and some stars, it would have been much more fun.

Skip it in theaters. Give it a rental if you're intrigued.

This film made me laugh a lot which is rare. It's an original (and let's face it that's rare) subject and was made in just 19 days shot in North Carolina. It's low budget and has some endearing characters (some of the kids rock) in it. It also actually shows people how they look in real life e.g. acne on their face which is quite shocking in itself as we usually only see pixel perfect complexions. The characters maybe stereotypical and shallow but who cares when the main aim is for laughs? The main character (according to my girlfriend) is reminiscent of Ricky Gervais in the Office (Brit comedy) but he always remains likable. I hope these actors and directors will make it big one day and you can impress / annoy by saying how you saw them in their early days. If you want some good laughs and an original subject matter then go see this film.