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Weakened by second-half attempts at thriller and romance, this presidential comedy also fails to hit any sharp political notes, resulting in a confused and unsatisfying mess. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams), the satirical host of a political talk show, decides to shake things up by running for president after making comments that he would be a better president than the leader who currently occupies the White House. His fans begin a grassroots campaign that catapults him into the Oval Office, but soon after moving in it is revealed a computer glitch mistakenly awarded him the presidency. Tom is left with a tough choice, stay the course or head back behind the microphone.
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Rating: PG-13 (Drug Related Material|Brief Violence|Language|Some Crude Sexual References)
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Genre: Comedy
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Original Language: English
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Director: Barry Levinson
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Producer: Barry Levinson, Robert N. Fried, James G. Robinson
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Writer: Barry Levinson
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Release Date (Theaters): wide
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $37.4M
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Universal Pictures
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Production Co: Universal Pictures, Morgan Creek Productions
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Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
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Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Man of the Year
Critic Reviews for Man of the Year
Audience Reviews for Man of the Year
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I wish this was either a straightforward goofy comedy or that it was a satire that was more clever in the way it examines the dangers of political dissatisfaction.
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Funny for the first forty minutes or so of its running time, "Man of the Year" is frustratingly unengaging, during its porous second half. The premise is solid enough, with the plot following comedian Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams), who hosts a successful Daily-Show clone on cable television. When an off-hand remark starts an Internet petition to elect Dobbs as the next President, he responds by eschewing commercials and public spending in favor of energetic (and hilarious) debate performances. Things look to get very interesting when a flaw in a fancy new digital voting system anoints Dobbs as the leader of the USA. Unfortunately, the script cannot take advantage of whatever comedy momentum the film builds up during the first half, with cheapened attempts at suspense and romance subplots fall embarrassingly flat. The direction is swift enough, and the actors manage to get in some good comic banter (I wish Lewis Black's character of a jaded writer for Dobb's show, were fleshed out more), but it's mostly much ado about nothing in terms of satire. Unlike movies cut from a similar satirical cloth, "Man of the Year" sputters along without having anything new to add to the discussion. Skip it.
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This film surprised me. I've read many reviews about how the film starts off as a promising-ish comedy and then flounders into a romantically-charged thriller and yes, these reviewers certainly have a point. However, while the transition from comedic romp to intrigue-filled muddy waters was a tad jarring, it wasn't handled as poorly as it could have been. The film rides on Robin Williams and for most of it, he's right in his element, doing pretty funny (if tamer than his usual) stand-up, some material straight from his real-life routines. Robin Williams can easily be grating when he turns the hyperactivity up to 11 and bounces willy nilly about the screen but, believe it or not, he turns in a relatively measured performance here. There are moments when his character is serious, and it's clear that Tom Dobbs is a performer, an entertainer who isn't funny-crazy all of the time. Christopher Walken is also good as Dobbs' manager, he doesn't go over the top as he well could have and is actually the voice of reason. It's not his most memorable performance, but it isn't phoned in either. Laura Linney is quite believable as a woman who discovers something she shouldn't have and is plunged headlong into some unpleasant business, even if her subplot is the weak link in the film. In terms of political satire, it isn't very biting, astute or even extremely funny, but it's relatively entertaining to see Robin Williams doing his thing, and on the whole it's not that bad at all.
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Man of the Year is a fun and entertaining political comedy full of clever satire. It's the story of a political satirist who runs for president and wins, or so he thinks until a whistleblower reveals that his election was a fraud. The cast is full of wonderful comedic talents, including Robin Williams, Christopher Walken, Laura Linney, and Jeff Goldblum; who all give great performances. The satire is well-crafted, without being too didactic, and the film takes itself serious enough that it doesn't devolve into a farce. The story has a few glitches, but Man of the Year manages to be entertaining and hilariously fun.
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