By-the-numbers origin story? What a 'Stupid Gesture'

The origin story of a multi-platform media empire probably can’t be told in a 100-minute movie. In that respect, the Netflix original film, “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” lives up to its title, though it may still be worth your streaming time.

Based on a much-more-detailed book by Josh Karp, “Gesture” takes a brisk look at Doug Kenney and Henry Beard — the creative forces of the humor magazine “National Lampoon,” which thrived in the 1970s and led to a slew of films, radio, books and other successful media. Kenney’s erratic drug use and personal demons become the main focus of the film, giving star Will Forte opportunity to stretch beyond portraying a straight goofball (though he plays goof rather brilliantly on Fox’s “The Last Man on Earth”).

Director David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer,” “Role Models”) employs a unique storytelling device in the form of Martin Mull, portraying a “Modern Doug” who appears on-screen to narrate the story of his younger self. Forte and Mull even interact with each other at a late stage in the film. Modern Doug’s interjections mostly serve to summarize and speed along information, a necessary move for a movie that covers 20 years worth of events.

Wain, who continues to reinvent the concept of spoofing with his excellent “Wet Hot American Summer” companion series on Netflix, is a filmmaker with a natural rhythm for comedy, so “A Simple and Futile Gesture” breezes along with good humor, even as the content spreads itself thin. Forte is good in the role, even when things get more serious, and he’s helped along by the versatile and ubiquitous Domhnall Gleeson as Henry Beard.

Like many Wain projects, “Gesture” stuffs a massive lineup of comedians into small-but-notable roles, including Jon Daly and John Gemberling doing competent impressions of Bill Murray and John Belushi. Folks like Natasha Lyonne, Thomas Lennon, Matt Walsh and Joel McHale (as his former “Community” co-star Chevy Chase) get a little more to do, though the focus rarely veers away from Kenney and Beard.

“Gesture” plays better in the first half, which focuses on the DIY exploits of starting a national magazine. By the time the movie runs into Kenney’s drug addiction and the development of the first “National Lampoon” movies (“Animal House,” “Caddyshack”), “Gesture” falls into a more by-the-numbers biopic hum. Too bad Wain couldn’t find a way to upend the narrative a bit more, as even the “Two Dougs” scene at the end can’t shake the film’s natural inevitability.

“A Futile and Stupid Gesture” ultimately falls squarely into the typical box for most Netflix originals — it’s a small movie good enough for a pleasant home viewing but lacking the dramatic punch or spectacle of what would justify a traditional box office run.

At least it beats watching something like “Bright,” Netflix’s embarrassing attempt to bring original blockbusters to their streaming service. Netflix provides a good outlet for small-to-mid budget projects. The more money spent on “Bright” sequels probably means less chance of more “Wet Hot American Summer” spin-offs from Wain.

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Tyler Wilson can be reached at [email protected]