Weird: the Al Yankovic Story comes to us in a time oversaturated with biopics. Just in the past few months alone we’ve gotten Baz Luhrmann’s extravagant Elvis, and Andrew Dominik’s controversial Blonde. Weird director Eric Appel even credits the likes of Dexter Fletcher’s Rocketman and Bryan Singer’s Bohemian Rhapsody as being the driving forces behind getting his film green lit. However Weird stands apart from its predecessors in the biography genre.
The plot follows a fictional timeline of “Weird Al’s” (Daniel Radcliffe) rise to parody artist stardom. The audience watches Al go from accordion playing child prodigy to “greatest artist in the world” with the company of mentor and manager Dr. Demento (Rainn Wilson), evil seductress Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood), and the rather delightful addition of his loyal bandmates. It’s difficult to choose standout moments to highlight when this film does so many different things; Al is a rockstar and a millionaire and an action hero all rolled into one in this story. If you explained the climax of this movie out of context to someone, they might not believe you. 
Al Yankovic himself co-wrote the script alongside Appel, however there’s no need to check the cast and crew list for this to be immediately apparent. The film wholly captures his spirit; a lighthearted satire on stereotypical film conventions is the perfect way to frame a story based around the creation of decades worth of comedic music. It’s genuinely entertaining to try to keep track of just how many different genres of movies Weird is parodying. “Weird Al” has always commented that he’s had to keep a finger on the pulse to ensure his comedy is relevant and this film shows that even several decades into his career, he still maintains this ability.
The true standout feature of this film is just how evident it is that the cast and crew had a blast making it. It’s pretty common knowledge at this point that Daniel Radcliffe doesn’t sign on to a film unless it allows him to be a little bit, for lack of a better word, weird. Weird: the Al Yankovic Story is no exception to this rule. Though it seems impossible for Radcliffe to escape constant comparison to his work in the Harry Potter films, it’s undeniable that he excels in comedy. His deadpan line delivery at the most ridiculous moments really captures the spirit of Al Yankovic.
Rainn Wilson is also a delight as Dr. Demento. He and Radcliffe make an excellent duo, able to match energy and bounce off of one another well. Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna is the film’s third main character, and while she does a good job, one has to keep in mind that this isn’t really Madonna she’s playing: it’s a fictional version of Madonna that’s been cooked up to fit the plot. She doubles as the movie’s villain, a choice which does provide a lot of comedic moments but also feels a little off at times. The femme fatale is one of the most popular character archetypes, so in that way it makes sense with the satirical nature of the film, but this specific joke feels a bit tired by the end of the movie. 
Weird: the Al Yankovic Story is Appel’s first feature length film— though his resume includes big name TV comedies like The Office, New Girl, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine— and was shot in just 18 days. This movie really isn’t revolutionary by any means, it isn’t reinventing anything, but it’s certainly a lot of fun. If you’re going into this expecting to actually learn something about the life of Al Yankovic, this probably isn’t the film for you. However, if you’re in the mood for something lighthearted to watch with friends, this is absolutely worth checking out.
P.S. If you’ve watched the film and find yourself wanting more, there’s a 2010 short film of the same name, also directed by Eric Appel, that stars Aaron Paul and Olivia Wilde. Who knew?
4/5 Stars
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story is now streaming on The Roku Channel.