Common Sense Media Review
By James Rocchi
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Martial arts "comedy" is crude, mean and unfunny.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Foot Fist Way
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?
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
- In theaters : May 28, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : February 10, 2009
- Cast : Ben Best , Danny McBride , Mary Jane Bostic
- Director : Jody Hill
- Studio : MTV Films
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 85 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong language and some sexual content.
- Last updated : September 21, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate