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.
