Surprise hit comedies are generally the ones that feature a relatively under-exposed actor with great comedic talent in a central role. That is what Danny McBride as Fred Simmons is supposed to be. It's not a bad movie, but it scratches the surface of what it could be. It feels like "The Foot Fist Way" is the very long pilot of a TV series that didn't get picked up: like there was something more that needed to happen and characters that needed to be developed.

The film is a small character-driven comedy created by a trio of friends who have been nurtured by the Will Ferrell and Adam McKay screwball character movie teat. Danny McBride, the star, Jody Hill, director and supporting actor and Ben Best, supporting actor, all wrote the story of Simmons, a tae kwan do instructor in Alabama who's full of himself yet humbly insecure.

There's really no plot until halfway through the movie, giving it that episodic "this should be broken up into smaller, fleshed out parts" feel. Supporting characters jump in and out rather than contribute to a flowing narrative. The only thing that stays solid is the rocky relationship subplot between Simmons and his tall-built bimbo wife (a rather untalented Mary Jane Bostic).

Admirably, these three amigos try and create a character for McBride that is both a verbal machine gun of ridiculous phrases and someone who uses that same egotistical technique to work out his emotional problems. In other words, someone who is supposed to be hilarious but self-revealing at the same time -- a complex goofball. Their first trial run is hit or miss on the comedic end and just short on creating a meaningful character. McBride is capable, but they don't really push the concept hard enough.

A glorified TV episode might be all it is, but there's talent in this group of aspiring comedy filmmakers.

"The Foot Fist Way" is the second Jody Hill movie I've watched. The first was "Observe and Report" with Seth Rogen which was released in 2009. I'm noticing that the Jody Hill formula is to make comedies dressed as dramas, so there will be no audio or visual cues to laugh. The actors' faces, voices, and movements won't cue you that this is a joke, simply the dialog and perhaps the absurdity of the situation. It's a unique style that isn't going to have you rolling on the floor laughing.

In TFFW Danny McBride played Fred Simmons, a Taekwondo instructor in North Carolina. He is a joke of an instructor with a super hot wife and a super hot car. Danny McBride consumes about 80% of the screen time, so the movie truly hinges upon him. His wife Suzie (Mary Jane Bostic) and his idol Chuck "The Truck" Wallace (Ben Best) have the next greatest share of screen time and it's not that much.

This movie had two very funny scenes which carried it. The rest of the movie kept a steady pace although it didn't register highly on the funny scale.

Fred Simmons (Danny McBride) is a delusional over-confident Tae Kwon Do instructor. His wife Suzie (Mary Jane Bostic) just started a new job. He's devastated when she tells him that she gave her boss a hand job during a drunken party. He goes to a martial arts expo to meet his idol B-movie action star Chuck "the Truck" Wallace (Ben Best) but he turns out to be a drunk.

This is a one-note performance from Danny McBride. He's a ridiculous man who doesn't know how ridiculous he is. It's funny at times but just get repetitive. He's also not an adorable character. It's great that Danny has created this outrageous character. It's a fun dark comedy. He just needs to expand the role of Denise (Collette Wolfe) who can call him on his BS. Even this character needs a straight man.