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Parents' Guide to

The Foot Fist Way

By James Rocchi, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Martial arts "comedy" is crude, mean and unfunny.

Movie R 2008 85 minutes
The Foot Fist Way Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 17+

Based on 3 parent reviews

smoothdome70
smoothdome70 Adult
March 22, 2020
age 16+

Underrated Classic

This title has:

Too much sex
Joshua123
Joshua123 Adult
June 28, 2011
age 17+

A sound message on authoritative abuse and what to look for as demonstrated by the main antagonists as the story has no protagonist

The violence isn't half as bad as many movies out there that many don't seem to have a problem with there kids seeing on a comparative level i.e. Lord of the rings with head decapitations that got released on a 3 part epic rated 12+ i believe. On another note yes the lead character is a fool yes he is starved for attention yes he does get everything wrong yes he is not a role model. However this film delays a very important message which people need to consider when picking a martial arts school for certain. This guy breaks so many rules and he gets just about all of his tenants wrong in case you guys missed something I will explain it too you that was the entire point of the movie or maybe you lack the intellect to figure that out. I have no doubt this post will probably be deleted as this seems like what could possibly be a doctored site to a certain mind set to avoid outward criticism however I would like to raise my niece to be smart enough and let this film serve as a warning to her on characters to avoid. Stories that we can learn from do not always have to be about the stalwart hero who gets everything right but more about the dangerous people in authoritative positions that sometimes need exposing a valuable message in today's society of power abuse.

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In small-town North Carolina, martial arts instructor Fred Simmons (Danny McBride of Hot Rod) runs a taekwondo studio. Fred used to be a contender, but he's fallen on hard times. Convinced that he needs to revitalize his failing business (and trying to reverse the failure of his marriage), he convinces old associate/action-film star Chuck "The Truck" Wallace (Ben Best) to come out for a few demonstrations to increase his business -- only to have arrogant, self-important Chuck ruin both the demos and Fred's marriage. Can Fred redeem his life?

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Shot on a shoestring, The Foot Fist Way is pretty much a one-man showcase for McBride's deadpan comedy style and capacity for portraying oblivious self-importance. The problem is that the movie is deeply unfunny. Viewers are expected to laugh at all these characters, not with them; everyone in the film is a moron, a thug, or a deluded, self-centered fool. Unlike, say, Napoleon Dynamite, a comedy in which foolish characters nonetheless earned some of our sympathy and affection, there's no one to root for in The Foot Fist Way, and that makes watching it more of a chore than anything else.

McBride has done far better work in films like Hot Rod and All the Real Girls, so some of the blame must go to the script, which was co-written by director Jody Hill, Best, and McBride; as Fred makes mistake after mistake and looks more and more like a cruel fool, we stop laughing and start squirming. The Foot Fist Way may deserve a few points for low-budget passion (it was shot in 19 days), but it's just so deeply unpleasant that it's hard to imagine anyone actually enjoying its smug, condescending, cruel kind of so-called comedy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why people want to see this movie -- is it because of the movie itself or because Will Ferrell says it's funny? Why is his opinion so influential? Families can also discuss the nature of teaching. Just because someone is in a position of authority, does that mean they deserve that authority or will exercise it wisely? Can you think of examples of good and bad teachers in movies?

Movie Details

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