OVERALL
This is one of those movies that suffer from inexplicable marketing. Directed by Barry Levinson, the same man who brought us "Wag the Dog", the release company Universal depended on Robin Williams' comic background to bring people in.
So "Man of the Year" was marketed as a comedy. We've got Robin Williams being funny in the trailers, and we got a poster with him dressed in a funny wig. But in the movie his character, a "fake news" anchorman a la Jon Stewart, is playing a character who's funny. So he's a character who's playing a character.
But it wasn't exactly that character who decided to run for President of the United States. It was Williams' character Tom Dobbs who decided to run. And did anybody really think he even had a chance?
"Be funnier," they kept telling him as he campaigned. Don't be the straight man. People enjoy your character more, and that character is more likely to win some votes.
He wins... but did he really? The second part of the movie is a thriller with parts that would surprise you. I found certain things to be implausible, but they cover their tracks well. The big question I had was -- could this really happen? Not the way Dobbs wins the election, which (scary enough) could happen with current technology, but with the way he ACTS as president.
You'd think there would be better handlers out there who would want him to uphold the throne of the United States a bit better. More than once I thought about John Goodman's "King Ralph" and the way his character had to fight to act the way he wanted.
PRO vs. NO
PRO: A much better drama than it was a comedy, although the finale on a certain late night television show was great. Plus Lewis Black was great.
NO: They were looking for an intense thriller by the end, but it didn't hook me.
SIX WORD FINISH
"Politicians are a lot like diapers."
FINAL BELL
-- 3.5 out of 5 -- A move that tried and almost got away with it. I think if the studio had played more on the fact this was the same director who did "Wag the Dog", they might have sold a few more tickets.
WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION?:
If anything, this was a rental. As I said, it was a pretty good movie, but not a great one.
