FDR: American Badass! (2012)

You won't be disappointed!

hyped garbage

The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

The acting in this movie is really good.

A fun idea, but the filmmakers behind it have no talent or intelligence whatsoever. This is a horror/sci-fi/action comedy about Franklin Roosevelt. In this movie's alternate history, FDR contracted polio from the bite of a Nazi werewolf. The Axis forces are all led by werewolves, and FDR, with his souped-up, machine-gun wheelchair goes to war himself against them. The concept is gold, but the screenwriter (Ross Patterson - he deserves to be called out by name) does little with it besides tell dick jokes and have old people swear and smoke weed (always comedy gold, right?). There's a good dose of racist jokes, too, with Werewolf Hirohito being unwatchably offensive (basically the only joke involving the Japanese is that they can't pronounce the letter "r"). Barry Bostwick is kind of amusing at times as FDR, but he's pretty much asked to carry the whole movie so he just mugs as much as possible. The only cast members who come out clean are Bruce McGill as FDR's head adviser and Ray Wise as Douglas MacArthur. Kevin Sorbo (who co-produced) shows up as the ghost of Abraham Lincoln. William Mapother, a character actor I've always liked (particularly from In the Bedroom and Lost), shows up for a while, too. This is painful.

Nobody expected this movie to be high art. But it was enjoyable. There was the historical sacrilege and the jokes in bad taste and historical figures saying dirty words. But there was also real cleverness and, most importantly, a real love that shone through the film. Nobody involved was phoning it in. It seems like everyone involved in making this movie was having fun, and you couldn't help but have fun along with them. I had a friend over, we cued it up, and laughed quite a bit. And in a year, I will have forgotten about it.If you are offended by jokes involving racist / sexist stereotypes, you might want to give this one a miss.

At first I thought this would be funny. The premise gave the clear impression that it would be a great spoof. Then I started to watch it. I laughed a bit admittedly as much because seeing FDR drop "F" bombs caught me off guard, but didn't find myself in hysterics over it. I was tired, I went to bed. This morning I went back just a bit before I left off. I looked at this movie in a whole new way. I turned my brain off and found myself really getting a kick out of this. I didn't look at it as a cheap low budget movie that was trying too hard, but instead saw it for what I believe it is, a brilliantly acted and written movie that isn't trying too hard, but trying just enough to LOOK like a cheap low budget "B" movie. Now and then I forget that if a movie is made to LOOK like a cheap BAD movie, it's accomplishing the goal so well, you believe that's exactly what you're watching and you don't see the tongue planted firmly in the cheek. I missed that last night but saw it plain as day this morning. This movie is FUNNY if you just pay attention without really thinking it through too much. Yeah, I just confused myself, but I stand by all that. Barry Bostwick does a bang up job as does his supporting cast, all of whom are some of the best character actors out there. Anyone who watches this and finds themselves disappointed should do as I did, watch it again with a different outlook and odds are, you'll appreciate this insane masterpiece as many of us have. Now I think I may have to go back and watch this from the beginning again!

Easily one of the best comedies I've seen in a while. If Airplane and Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter had a crack baby it would be this movie. Unlike some of the more recent spoof type movies that have come out (Epic Movie, Vampires Suck) this one is actually clever and has some balls. What makes it even better is it's historical theme. Franklin Roosevelt, the president who led us out of the great depression, gets wasted, sleeps with his assistants and kills Nazi Werewolves all in an impressively tricked out wheelchair. A werewolf Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito all make hilarious appearances as well. Barry Bostwick is brilliant in his role as FDR and reminded me of the great Leslie Nielsen. Yes this movie is over the top and ridiculous but it will have you laughing the whole time and that's all that really matters. I definitely recommend checking it out if you get the chance. By the way, just a friendly tip, the consumption of alcohol and/or marijuana may enhance your viewing pleasure.