Film Review: American Dreamz (2006) C

Date Viewed: 11/16/06
Venue: DVD

American Dreamz is one of those movies that has one great idea but nothing else to support it. The 'great' idea is what if dunderheaded Dubya ended up on American Idol to share screen time with British snob Simon Cowell. The 'nothing else' consists of making a dull, unfunny farce of American Idol, its contestants, and the American notion of celebrity.

We follow the host of the hit show 'American Dreamz,' Martin Tweed (swarmily played by Hugh Grant) as he searches for contestants while fighting an increasing sense of boredom. Bubbly ambitious all-American girl Sandy Kendoo (Mandy Moore) and Iraqi-transplant-secretly-working-for-Al-Quaeda-but-who-really-wants-to-sing Omer Obeid gain Martin's attention. Meanwhile, lumbering President Staton (Dennis Quaid) is slowly having an awakening about world affairs and how he' just being used by his Cheney-resembling Chief Of Staff (Willem Dafoe). Eventually the prez ends up as a guest judge on the show, just as Al-Quaeda wants Omer to smuggle a bomb in to kill him. Hilarious, right? No, not really.

Well, despite some nice performances by Quaid and Grant, both of whom cheekily emulate their real-life counterparts, American Dreamz falls flat on its face. In the end it's a farce that's not too scathing and has nothing truly indicting to say about any of its subjects. Its content to rely on tepid parody of a show full of self-parody already (William Hung anyone?). Disappointing but harmless.