‘Weird: The Al Yankovic Story’ Review: Daniel Radcliffe Shines In Impeccable Parody
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story boasts an incredible lead performance from Daniel Radcliffe, as the movie takes parody to extreme heights.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story doesn’t strive on being factual. In fact, none of what Eric Appel’s “biopic” presents ever happened. For instance, did you know that “Weird Al” Yankovic (Daniel Radcliffe) had a stint with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood)? Oh yeah, and it leads him to go to Cuba, as Madonna is kidnapped by Pablo Escobar (Arturo Castro). Al rescues her and kills the drug lord with one of his platinum CDs. That’s what the movie is aiming for: very minimal facts are given throughout, which means that audiences who are looking for a factual, paint-by-numbers biopic will be immediately disappointed.
However, audiences who are looking for a balls-to-the-walls parody will absolutely love almost every single second of this gonzo masterpiece. After a rough opening scene which sees young versions of “Weird Al” learn the accordion, the movie starts to become a fun ride once Radcliffe is introduced on screen as the titular protagonist. From composing hit songs like “My Bologna” and “, I Love Rocky Road” to meeting Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson), while being seduced by Madonna’s charms, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story has it all.
It’s a story of love, passion, music, accordions, LSD-fueled drug trips, drug cartels, zombies, Oprah Winfrey, and more. If you name something, anything, it’s probably in Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. The sheer amount of stars Appel has on screen to cameo is incredible, with some being the funniest of the year. It’s already been revealed through this review that Arturo Castro as Pablo Escobar is in this movie, but he has a major role in regards to the story. Most appearances from big-named stars have not been revealed by any of the trailers (aside from “Weird Al” himself, who portrays Tony Scotti, of Scotti Brothers Records), and it’s great to see the amount of stars who are in the movie for significant extended cameos. No one should be spoiled to see who appears in the movie, even for brief seconds, because everyone has an amazing time in the movie, whether through a big or small role.
And they’re all here for one reason: sharing their love of “Weird Al” himself. There’s no denying that his parody songs reinvented the way many of us look at popular songs (you can’t listen to the late Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” without hearing “Amish Paradise.” It is what it is), and how he impacted so many lives with his simple, yet terrifically funny lyrics. Every single cameo is a thrill to watch unfold, and they’re not just cameos for the sake of cameos. They have a point, and make the viewing experience so much more fun in the process.
But the real star of “Weird” is Daniel Radcliffe, who completely bathes himself in Weird Al’s personality. It’s unexpected to see Harry Potter do an amazing job playing Weird Al, but it’s a testament to how great of an actor he is. He hasn’t been getting enough roles since the Harry Potter movies ended, and most of his acting talents have been wasted in forgettable films. However, Weird Al shows the world that Radcliffe has always been more than Harry Potter and will hopefully be remembered as a silver screen icon, rather than “the actor who played Harry Potter.”
He does an infinitely better job at playing Weird Al than Rami Malek did when he won an Oscar for imitating Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody. There’s a fundamental difference why: Radcliffe isn’t imitating Weird Al. And while “Weird Al” himself is doing the vocals for the song, Radcliffe’s performance is a parodic version of the real-life character. He interprets Weird Al as his own instead of trying to perfectly imitate the artist. And it’s because of that fundamental difference that his performance is more buoyant and memorable than Malek’s poor-man imitation. He also shares great chemistry with Evan Rachel Wood, who is terrific as Madonna.
The filmmakers are genuinely insane for giving Weird an ending like that. No spoilers, but it’s quite literally genuinely insane. But that’s the point. As soon as Weird: The Al Yankovic Story begins, you have no idea how it’ll end, or what it will introduce next. It’s one hell of a trip that demands to be seen with a crowd on the big screen. Unfortunately, it’s getting a Roku Channel-exclusive release. But if you can watch it with a large group of friends, please do it. You’re going to have the time of your life.