I was still laughing at jokes from 2022's Weird: The Al Yankovic Story this morning. As you probably guessed, it's 100% gags, not in any way an attempt at a real biopic. Which was the right decision.
There are some parallels to the life of the real "Weird Al" Yankovic, though. He really was mentored by Doctor Demento, played here by Rainn Wilson in a case of perfect casting. He was friends with Madonna, played by Evan Rachel Wood in the film, but whether they actually had a torrid affair filled with booze and marathon sex is a secret kept by the two of them to this day (my guess is, no, they didn't).
Daniel Radcliffe is great as Yankovic himself. He wisely chooses to play the role completely straight. He still has the quality of a remarkably guileless little boy that appealed to audiences in the Harry Potter movies. That sincerity pairs nicely with the absolute absurdity when he storms Pablo Escobar's compound with a machine gun to rescue Madonna.
There are many cameos throughout the film, the highest concentration of them appearing in a pool party scene in which various celebrity comedians (Conan O'Brian, Dmitri Martin, Paul F. Tompkins, Jack Black) play various '80s celebrities (Andy Warhol, Tiny Tim, Gallagher, Wolfman Jack).
Directed by Eric Appel, who co-wrote the screenplay with Yankovic, it's a funny movie. Not quite as strong as UHF but a pleasing parody of modern biopics.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is available on Roku--for free, which I didn't even know until last night or I'd have watched it a lot sooner.
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