“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (Roku Channel) isn’t truly a biopic of the parodic songsmith. Admittedly, I desire that negative space to be filled by a real biopic someday. But for what it is – an expansion of a great Funny or Die “trailer” — this comedy from director/co-writer Eric Appel (a director of many sitcom episodes) is a blast.
I find Yankovic’s work consistently worthy of smiles but I don’t actively seek it out all that often. “Weird” hits a sweet spot for me, because when Daniel Radcliffe (as Yankovic) performs the songs (lip-synching to the real tracks), I say “Oh yeah, that one!”
Life’s a joke
More serious Yankovic fans will love the new humor. The film gets a little long for a comedy at 108 minutes, but it senses this and ends abruptly in a manner that doubles as one last joke. Keeping things fresh, Appel and co-writer Yankovic (who has a meta supporting turn as a music exec) shuffle through types of comedy.
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” (2022)
Director: Eric Appel
Writers: Eric Appel, Weird Al Yankovic
Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson
First, it’s a faux-biopic. “Weird” delightfully exaggerates Yankovic’s parents’ (Toby Huss and Julianne Nicholson) disapproval of his accordion passion and underlines coming-of-age and overcoming-the-odds cliches in the manner of “Walk Hard.”
As Yankovic’s career takes off in the 1970s, Radcliffe takes over from two younger actors. He plays it straight and lets the bushy hair and mustache make his performance a half-degree funnier. He’s shorter than the real Yankovic, but it’s irrelevant.
The origin story of “My Bologna” borrows a page from “George Lucas in Love” by being deliciously literal. His roommates are blown away by “creativity” that’s just blunt observation and the ability to rhyme. Co-writer Yankovic’s self-deprecation comes off as genuine.
“Weird” parodies the parodies, and also Yankovic’s success: The movie makes him the biggest star on the planet. This running gag remains worth a chuckle when he performs before massive crowds and when he thanks the “billions” of home viewers at an awards show.
From his ‘Bologna’ to his Madonna
As “Weird” giddily drifts from reality, Madonna (a perfectly costumed and made-up Evan Rachel Wood) becomes his girlfriend. She wants the sales bump from Weird Al turning “Like a Virgin” into “Like a Surgeon.”
Yankovic cameoed in “The Naked Gun,” so it’s appropriate that there’s a tinge of the Zucker Brothers’ stylings as “Weird” gets weirder. By the end, we’ve evolved (devolved?) to grade-school humor – but it’s top-shelf grade-school humor. Appel and Yankovic give the impression of making this up on the fly, yet the pacing is appealing.
Supporting roles from funny folks pepper the film. I smiled as soon as I recognized an actor. I won’t spoil all of them, but a highlight is Jack Black as Wolfman Jack. He’s one of many celebrities who aggressively accuse Yankovic of being a hack.
“Weird’s” faux-meanness and violence never play as actual meanness and violence, because the Weird Al vibe of innocent laughter is always present. This brand of comedy, perhaps fresh in the 1970s (though not as groundbreaking as the film jokingly implies), it’s now pleasingly old-fashioned.
I recall thinking in 1999 how remarkably relevant Weird Al still was when he released “The Saga Begins,” playing Obi-Wan Kenobi in the music video. That remains true in 2022. It’s safe to say that Weird Al Yankovic is timeless. He deserves a great real biopic. In the meantime, I’m not complaining about this film-length gag.