The Jerk (EOTWS)

End Of The Week Shorts #17 extract: The Jerk (1979)

I didn't hate it, but it's not good - not at all. Steve Martin, in his day, was a comedic force to be reckoned with. The unfortunate thing about comedy, however, is that when it ages, it tends to go sour - and this is the case with Martin's stand-up and his movies in my view. This isn't universally true, and maybe comedies reach a point where they gain a novel quality, but The Jerk hasn't hit this point--not in my opinion anyways. 

None of the jokes hit; they never seemed particularly terrible and I could appreciate the absurdity, but they were just duds. I liked all of the characters enough for the film to keep me engaged and there is an amusing tone underlying the entirety of the narrative, but, I can't say the film is at all good. Maybe if I saw this nearer to when it came out it could hold something more, however, it is what it is.