Review of Joe Somebody

Introduction

When it comes to the wholesome family comedy, you don`t have to look any further than Tim Allen to deliver the goods. The Home Improvement television series was a natural progression from his stand up routine, a sort of new man regaining his traditional masculinity through egregious tool use. But what was popular about the show was that it took a step back from the usual dysfunctional family of the nineties sitcom and reintroduced the old values of mom, dad and the kids. This sort of role has also informed Tim Allen`s movie career. Good (single parent) family values are seen as safe in his capable hands and consequently we get movies like The Santa Clause and now Joe Somebody.

Joe Scheffer is the non-descript, introverted character that always gets walked on. He makes promotional videos for a pharmaceutical company and is rarely noticed in his workplace, let alone promoted. His dreams have faded somewhat and his work is a drudge, but the shining light of his life is his daughter Natalie, who he adores and he shares custody of her with his ex-wife. However his world is shaken one day when he takes Natalie into work for a parent-daughter day. After a dispute over a parking space he is beaten and humiliated in front of his daughter by the office bully Mark McKinney. When he doesn`t return to work for three days, the company`s Wellness coordinator Meg Harper is sent to speak to Joe. Meg finds Joe in a bedraggled and unkempt state, but a chance remark causes Joe to re-evaluate his life. He decides to get his self respect back and challenges McKinney to a rematch. This is hardly adult behaviour and Meg almost convinces him to reconsider, but when Joe sees that he has suddenly earned the notice and respect of his co-workers, he resolves to "Kick Mark McKinney`s Ass, Yeah!"

Video

The picture is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic ratio. The picture is perfectly fine; a recent film is given a clear and sharp transfer. The image may be a little grainy at times but there is no print damage to speak of and everything is nice and colourful.

Audio

Similarly the sound is presented in good old Dolby Digital 5.1. I didn`t notice any particular flair with the surround, but it`s a competently transferred soundtrack giving you exactly what it advertises. The music is perfectly fitting with the story and there are some nice pop tunes chosen to complement the score.

Features

Theatrical trailer.

4 Deleted Scenes, with or without commentary. The commentary basically tells why the scenes were deleted.

Fight Choreography. A little behind the scenes featurette focussing on how the training sequences between Chuck and Joe were accomplished.

Audio Commentary with director John Pasquin and producer Brian Reilly. It is your run of the mill commentary and is quite perfunctory. The director gives the usual viewpoint on the making of the film, and it is a little gappy at times.

On the plus side, everything is subtitled, including the commentaries. The extra footage is all presented in a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Conclusion

Joe Somebody isn`t exactly the stuff of awards, and when it comes to Tim Allen movies, it will probably be the last that springs to mind. But I enjoyed it for the light piece of fluff that it is. It`s a little clichéd, verges on the silly at times, has a simplistic moral message and is unashamedly schmaltzy, but it has a few redeeming features, not least of which is a scene stealing performance from Jim Belushi.

It`s a film of three halves in many ways and it does feel a little disjointed as a result. Initially Joe Scheffer is introduced as a downtrodden and beaten man who takes pride only in his daughter. This is played pretty straight, and the confrontation in the car park and its consequences are handled very sensitively. The humiliation that Joe suffers is portrayed well by Tim Allen. His reaction and withdrawal is brilliantly played and manages to tug on the hardest of heartstrings. Then the film mutates into a pure comedy as new hyper-Joe decides to wreak vengeance on his car park tormentor. He goes into training and reaps the benefits of his new go-getting personality with humorous results. The final third of the movie changes from comedy to moralising, as Joe must learn who his true friends are and make the right choice. Only then will he get the girl.

As I said, Tim Allen`s performance is perhaps his best to date, especially in the first third of the film, but he has some good support from Julie Bowen as Meg, and the pair really spark off well on camera. Also in this film are Ally McBeal veteran Greg Germann as executive Jeremy. If you recall his character of Richard Fish from Ally McBeal then you have a good idea of Jeremy, all that is missing is the occasional "Bygones" and "Fishism". Another Ally alumnus is Hayden Panettiere who plays Joe`s daughter Natalie and is good in the role. Patrick Warburton is the quintessential office bully McKinney but a scenery chewing performance from Jim Belushi as Chuck Scarett, the unconventional sensei that teaches Joe self-defence steals the film. His portrayal of the eccentric and scruffy has-been Martial Arts movie star is priceless and he single-handedly elevates this film above the mundane.

So in the end, this film is enjoyable if it is taken simply as light entertainment. The moral messages are simplistic and even a little confused, "Stand up for yourself and be aggressive, and you will achieve you ends", mixed with "Fighting is no way to solve your problems". Joe Somebody also tries to be three movies in one and doesn`t quite succeed. But on occasions it`s funny and it initially handles bullying in a sensitive way. The cast performances are very good and Jim Belushi alone is a reason to watch this film.

The disc itself is presented well, with good sound and picture and a fair collection of extras, another good disc from Fox.