FDR: American Badass!

I saw a screening of this in Portland and it is seriously one of the funniest films ever made. It reminded me of Airplane or Naked Gun. Partly because Barry Bostwick turns in a Leslie Nielson-esque performance, and more importantly, you believe him in the role of FDR. Don't get me wrong the dialogue is out of control and everything is played over the top, including the effects and werewolf costumes, but the cast seems to revel in it and act it out as if the words were Shakespeare. The surrounding cast around Bostwick really rose to level that he was playing his character, especially Ray Wise, Bruce McGill, and Ross Patterson. The filmmakers manage to pull off the low budget aspect and use it to bolster the film, so much so, that it seems like it was specifically written for that type of vibe. The film itself is extremely crass and involves blatant racism, but no one is safe from it. I for one LOVED this film and think it has the potential to be an instant cult classic, but I'm sure some people will be offended.

At first I thought this would be funny. The premise gave the clear impression that it would be a great spoof. Then I started to watch it. I laughed a bit admittedly as much because seeing FDR drop "F" bombs caught me off guard, but didn't find myself in hysterics over it. I was tired, I went to bed. This morning I went back just a bit before I left off. I looked at this movie in a whole new way. I turned my brain off and found myself really getting a kick out of this. I didn't look at it as a cheap low budget movie that was trying too hard, but instead saw it for what I believe it is, a brilliantly acted and written movie that isn't trying too hard, but trying just enough to LOOK like a cheap low budget "B" movie. Now and then I forget that if a movie is made to LOOK like a cheap BAD movie, it's accomplishing the goal so well, you believe that's exactly what you're watching and you don't see the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. I missed that last night but saw it plain as day this morning. This movie is FUNNY if you just pay attention without really thinking it through too much. Yeah, I just confused myself, but I stand by all that.

Barry Bostwick does a bang up job as does his supporting cast, all of whom are some of the best character actors out there. Anyone who watches this and finds themselves disappointed should do as I did, watch it again with a different outlook and odds are, you'll appreciate this insane masterpiece as many of us have. Now I think I may have to go back and watch this from the beginning again!

Am willing to bet not one person of million who saw this movie has noted the reference to "World War I" during a scene that takes place in 1931. Since WWII did not begin until 8 years later, how did they know The Great War was "World War I"? The movie itself I thought was very funny, and enjoyed it. It's obligatory now that every third word has to be f this and f that, in order to accommodate the teenagers. Only thing is, for this moving, the teenagers likely would not be interested anyhow, never having even heard of President Roosevelt. I spoke with a young woman, "history major" in her high school senior class, and she had no idea what was Pearl Harbor, that it was attacked, etc. FDR...who's he?

A fun idea, but the filmmakers behind it have no talent or intelligence whatsoever. This is a horror/sci-fi/action comedy about Franklin Roosevelt. In this movie's alternate history, FDR contracted polio from the bite of a Nazi werewolf. The Axis forces are all led by werewolves, and FDR, with his souped-up, machine-gun wheelchair goes to war himself against them. The concept is gold, but the screenwriter (Ross Patterson - he deserves to be called out by name) does little with it besides tell dick jokes and have old people swear and smoke weed (always comedy gold, right?). There's a good dose of racist jokes, too, with Werewolf Hirohito being unwatchably offensive (basically the only joke involving the Japanese is that they can't pronounce the letter "r"). Barry Bostwick is kind of amusing at times as FDR, but he's pretty much asked to carry the whole movie so he just mugs as much as possible. The only cast members who come out clean are Bruce McGill as FDR's head adviser and Ray Wise as Douglas MacArthur. Kevin Sorbo (who co-produced) shows up as the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. William Mapother, a character actor I've always liked (particularly from In the Bedroom and Lost), shows up for a while, too. This is painful.

The spoof genre is one that most of the time goes horribly wrong. There are some that have worked really well over the years like Airplane, Naked Gun, Scary Movie, and Top Secret, but sadly very few really do much more than just annoy viewers. The latest FDR American Badass is not so much a spoof of other films, but just a silly over the top tale of history and violence. Is it possible that this silly premise could actually deliver a fun film or will it be another of the plain stupid ones that will be forgotten?

FDR American Badass follows Franklin D. Roosevelt as a werewolf hunter tracking down the like of Adolf Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito in his customized wheelchair of death. Let's start by admitting that there is nothing about this idea that is just ridiculous. This isn't the first of the presidents to tackle supernatural creatures, but it is the first to realize how silly it is and dive in head first. This is a really silly, over-the-top dumb film that will entertain if you let it. Barry Bostwick plays up his version of FDR while channeling Roosevelt, with a dash of Burgess Meredith's Penguin from the Batman series. His version is over the top and far from politically correct that really makes this film work. Set in a world that makes little to no sense with characters that seem to fit right in makes this film work. The effects and action are silly and low budget, but if they had done much more than that it just wouldn't work. They clearly knew what this film was and never tried to take itself seriously. Filled with over the top characters, silly make-up effects, a ridiculous storyline and a gaggle of nasty jokes, FDR delivers exactly what it sets out to do and brings the laughs with it.

Make no mistake, this isn't a good movie by any means, it's one that if you can get in on the joke you will have a fun time. This film sports a surprising cast of recognizable actors besides Bostwick including Lin Shaye, Bruce McGill, Ray Wise, Kevin Sorbo, William Mapother, Paul Wilson, Ahmed Best, Deon Richmond. How can any movie not work with Sorbo as Lincoln, Kenny from the Cosby Show, as well as Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito as werewolves?