Meet Wally Sparks (1997) User Reviews

This Film Gets No Respect

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 6 October 2009]

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield took on the topic of shock TV in Meet Wally Sparks. A few sparks a generated, but it helps if you have an appreciation for the Police Academy films to enjoy this film. Which I do somewhat.

Meet Wally Sparks also borrows liberally from the plot of The Man Who Came To Dinner. In this case Dangerfield in the title role becomes the man who stayed at the governor's mansion.

Georgia Governor David Ogden Stiers who slips as neatly into a southern accent as he did a Boston one as Charles Emerson Winchester in MASH is advised that he can score a few cheap political points as a 'family values' candidate by attacking the outrageous talk show host Wally Sparks. Which gets a response from Sparks for Stiers to guest on his show and explain his objections.

Then Stiers's son Glenn Walker Harris, Jr. steals an invite to a campaign fundraiser and sends it to Dangerfield who then comes down to Atlanta and promptly injures himself, necessitating he not be moved from there.

After The Man Who Came To Dinner, the film then digresses into a pale imitation of The Fortune Cookie as it turns out Dangerfield isn't half as hurt as he makes out. All that was missing was Walter Matthau threatening to sue to the state of Georgia. Talk about deep pockets.

The humor is pretty crude, not unlike what you see on these shows. But it's actually done with a gentle hand. There were some lost opportunities in this film to make some valid points. As did those two other far better satirical films which Meet Wally Sparks liberally borrowed from.

Still fans of the late Rodney Dangerfeld will respect the film and will some others, just not enough.

It's as if the script was an afterthought wrapped around Rodney's one liners .....

[merklekranz · 6/10 · 11 September 2019]

But who cares because, though hit or miss with the jokes, "Meet Wally Sparks" has enough laughs to fill several of today's lame comedy efforts. Rodney Dangerfield cannot be contained with his rapid fire comeback comedy routine, and a loud mouth talk show host suits him perfectly as the ideal outlet for his crass comments. Think adults doing "Animal House", and you will be close to describing this funny film. Lots of cameos add to the fun, with Burt Reynolds especially memorable as Wally's boss and old friend. One thing worth mentioning is that the movie moves quickly from one joke to the next, and thus there are few dead spots. It is also the type of film that gets better with multiple viewings. Recommended. - MERK

Dangerfield

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 21 March 2020]

Wally Sparks (Rodney Dangerfield) is the loud-mouthed host of a trashy daytime talk show. His boss Lenny Spencer (Burt Reynolds) threatens to cancel the show due to sponsor pressure. He is given a week to change the tenure of the show. He attends a party of conservative critic Georgia Governor Floyd Preston (David Ogden Stiers) which turns into publicity bonanza.

This is pure Dangerfield in his character and the quality of the movies that he leads. It's low brow comedy. He's crass and he's good at it. He remains the loveable everyman. It doesn't really make sense for him to stay in the mansion but making sense is not the highest priority. It has its fun but it doesn't really hold together. It's a bad good bad comedy.

Crude, rude and hilarious

[vchimpanzee · 15 August 2006]

At the movie's start, we see a lot of clips (most of them probably fake) from real talk shows, as well as the vulgar Wally Sparks on his own program that gives the FCC and advertisers nightmares. Jerry Springer comments, "Hey, at least this isn't 'The Wally Sparks Show.'"

The network has finally had enough. It's over, says network head Lenny Spencer. Wally convinces Spencer to give him another chance, saying he will clean things up. Spencer reluctantly agrees.

The idea on how to give the show a fresh image comes from Georgia governor Floyd Preston. The conservative family values advocate has written Wally complaining that this is not the sort of thing his son should be watching. Preston has had a change of heart and wants Wally to attend a black-tie event at his mansion. At least that's what the letter says ... Preston's young son Robby watches the show just to annoy his father, and having Wally actually show up will really get him riled.

The results are hilarious. Not entirely unlike "Caddyshack", a superior film where Rodney Dangerfield shocks the country club set with his crude behavior. And things are about to get a whole lot worse. Furthermore, Preston is trying to get re-elected, and any bad publicity could hurt his chances. Still, he needs to learn to care more about his family, and by the end I think he gets that message. Wally also has problems in his relationship with grown son Dean, but I believe this experience may have helped him as well.

This wasn't Dangerfield's best performance, but he was still quite good. Debi Mazar also did a great job as Wally's producer, and David Ogden Stiers did his usual fine job. Despite his fake accent, I was impressed with Glenn Walker Harris as Robby. He reminded me of Jonathan Taylor Thomas in "Home Improvement", though Thomas is better. Lesley-Anne Down also stood out in one scene as a nurse who wasn't a nurse.

Speaking of fake accents, Mark L. Taylor, as Preston's campaign manager, REALLY overdid it.

This is NOT a film that should be seen by kids. If you are offended by Howard Stern's style of humor, it might be best to stay away. Not that the vulgarity was constant, but it was certainly pushing the limits of what TV allows. I don't know how much was edited out.

The movie had plenty of physical comedy in addition to crude jokes. Most of the pratfalls came from poor network lackey Alan Miller, sent by Spencer to follow Wally and gather dirt on him. Some other highlights included the scene right after Gov. Preston showed off his horse, and the Wally Sparks episode featuring American wrestlers and Sumo wrestlers, in which Wally claimed to speak Japanese (though his translation included the word "Toyota"). And the governor's grown daughter Priscilla was not supposed to come home so early.

There was also a scene reminiscent of "Risky Business". You won't believe who dances in underwear. (No, not him).

Celebrities were all over the place. It added realism to see Jay Leno comment on TV about Wally, though I don't know how good the E! commentators were.

Tony Danza drove a cab! I don't remember his "Taxi" character that clearly but he reminded me more of Tony Micelli than Tony Banta.

I've never seen a worse performance from Bob Saget. How did I ever enjoy "Full House" and "Funniest Home Videos" with him?

I enjoyed the big-band music at the black-tie event until Michael Bolton showed up and managed to do a watered-down impression of Ray Charles singing you-know-what. Bolton is often compared to Kenny G, who may have been doing the music for some of the romantic scenes (I won't say who was romantic with whom). At least it was his annoying style.

If you've never heard Devo do anything but "Whip It", stay around for the closing credits and hear them do Beatnik jazz. They're quite good.

I had a good time. I can deal with naughty humor on occasion.

"Meet Wally Sparks" Was Bad! "How Bad Was It?" It Was So Bad . . .

[D_Burke · 2/10 · 18 October 2010]

Poor Rodney Dangerfield. The man was a comic legend who seemed to do everything right when it came to stand-up comedy. The guy not only made a name for himself later in life, becoming a household name while in his mid-50's, but he also mentored future big name comedians including Jim Carrey, Sam Kinison, Bob Saget, Roseanne, Tim Allen, and many others. For a while, it seemed like he could be great in movies, too. "Caddyshack" (1980) is still a comedy classic, while "Easy Money" (1983) and "Back To School" (1986) showed he could headline a movie successfully as well.

Although "Ladybugs" (1992) was not a perfect movie, it still had its laughs. Then came "Meet Wally Sparks" (1997), Rodney's final theatrically-released movie in which he had a starring role (thereby excluding his chilling supporting role in "Natural Born Killers" (1994), and a strong cameo in "Little Nicky" (2000)). Dangerfield would have many more bad movies to come ("The Godson" (1999), "Back By Midnight" (2002)), but all of those would go straight to video.

It is amazing that "Meet Wally Sparks" did not go directly to video upon its release, because it is void of laughs (even from Mr. No Respect himself), its jokes and physical gags are almost always predictable, its characters are carbon copied from better movies, and its plot is completely all over the place.

So who is Wally Sparks? As you find in the first five minutes of the film, he is a talk show host similar to Jerry Springer and Sally Jesse Raphael (both of whom cameo as themselves in this movie). His on-air antics violate many FCC regulations, causing sponsors to pull their advertising. TV network owner Lenny Spencer (Burt Reynolds, sporting a ridiculous-looking toupee that served as a missed joke opportunity for Dangerfield) seriously considers pulling the plug on the controversial show, but Sparks' producer Sandy Gallo (Debi Mazar, best known as Ray Liotta's coke-addicted mistress in "Goodfellas" (1990)) makes a last ditch effort to save their careers. She plans on having Sparks tape his show from the house of his most staunch critic, Georgia governor Floyd Preston (David Ogden Stiers), while also staying at his house.

In a contrived plot point that is not very well executed, Governor Preston is advised not to simply kick Sparks out of his house because the poll numbers for his U.S. Senate campaign suggest that Sparks' presence will give him a better chance of winning his upcoming election. With Sparks continuing to scrape the bottom of the barrel by inviting guests on his show ranging from porn stars to steroid-induced professional wrestlers, hilarity ensues in the Governor's mansion. Or does it?

The answer is no. "Meet Wally Sparks" is a prime example of a movie that, through outrageous physical gags, tries way too hard to be funny. Dangerfield's one-liners also feel weak and incredibly forced. When he rides a drunken horse into a cocktail party held by Gov. Preston, he actually says, "Hey, quit horsing around!" All I could do was sigh, and wish that Bill Murray would appear chasing a gopher.

Of course, Murray doesn't make an appearance in this movie. Instead, we have a barrage of useless celebrity cameos. Most of them are by real talk show hosts, and A-list stand-up comedians appear as well. Perhaps the least impressive cameo was by Michael Bolton, who loves Wally Sparks' show so much that he sings a song and dedicates it to him. Who made this movie and thought a cameo by such a second-rate adult contemporary artist would benefit this movie? On the other hand, not even appearances by celebrities who actually do have talent, such as Jay Leno and Tim Allen, succeeded in bringing any more laughs.

In the midst of the predictable humor and wasted cameos, the plot was all over the place. The fact that Wally Sparks is a controversial talk show host would have brought enough laughs if it was incorporated into a story that spoofed the talk show trend of the 1990's. Before reality shows, celebrities were all about having their own talk shows. There could have been some way to parody that TV trend.

Instead, we get a mess of a story involving a politician who is less concerned with improving the budget of his state, and instead wastes his time fighting against a show clearly protected by the First Amendment. There are also complicated subplots involving a love story between Sparks' son and Gov. Preston's daughter, Sparks himself pretending to be paralyzed, a conspiracy over a theme park being built over a Civil War battle ground, and a hoax sex scandal that potentially jeopardizes Preston's hopes of being elected Senator.

The movie feels too long at 105 minutes, primarily because the subplots throw off the pace of the story. After only an hour, I wanted this film done because I didn't care about any of the characters. I just wanted the last hour of my life back.

Rodney Dangerfield is still one of the greatest stand-up comedians ever. It's just too bad that he never made a funny film after "Back To School". The fact that he co-wrote the screenplay to this movie does not help his legacy. He made a wise move by not appearing in "Caddyshack II" (1987), but somehow his fate with future movies was not as well-thought- out.

Not Rodney's Best

[atlasmb · 5/10 · 4 August 2017]

Those who don't like insult comedy will probably not enjoy this film, but that is no surprise. What else would you expect from a Rodney Dangerfield film but his rat-a-tat style of humor, with plenty of one-liners aimed at eviscerating those around him? It is probably best to compare this film with some of his other vehicles, like "Caddy Shack" and "Back to School", both of which feature Dangerfield as an irreverent rascal. Both of those films rein in the stand-up patois, keeping the humor on-target and relevant. In "Meet Wally Sparks", the discipline is lax, often inserting zingers just because, sometimes creating situations just to accommodate a punchline.

Dangerfield can portray likable, even lovable, characters. That is when his humor works the best. He is often self-deprecating. But this film makes little attempt to create a character with warmth.

A hefty number of cameos by many in the entertainment industry adds to the fun. But the obligatory mayhem/food fight scene just reminds us that this film could have been better with a script that had more focused humor.

The worst movie that I've never seen...

[mark_in_laguna · 1/10 · 31 January 2010]

First, let me explain the summary. I watched the first 45 minutes or so before I walked out of the theatre. So, I didn't even get halfway through this unfunny waste of time. My buddy and I were fans of Dangerfield humour, so we were both looking forward to it. However, we knew within the first 15 minutes that it was going to be a big disappointment, but we thought we'd stick with it because it was bound to get better (after all, it couldn't get any worse - or so we thought). The gags and the one liners were not only unfunny, but it was actually embarrassing to watch.

It's been 13 years since "Meet Wally Sparks" was released, and it has been the only movie to date that I've walked out on. And I've seen a lot of movies.

Live-action cartoon, but what's wrong with that?

[eeb215 · 7/10 · 24 February 2002]

"Meet Wally Sparks" is a screwball comedy in the vein of an Adam Sandler vehicle or latter-day "National Lampoon" movie. Sure, it's dumb. Sure, it's cheap. Sure, there's no Palm D'Or award sitting on the director's shelf. But some movies are not destined for accolades or AFI lists or anything above the $8.99-and-under used video rack at Blockbuster.

This movie has a drunken horse, three Southern ladies (one of them Cindy Williams) dancing in their skivvies to "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", a fight between Sumo wrestlers and WWF stars, and Tony Danza reprising his role as Tony from "Taxi" doing a Rodney Dangerfield impression. Oh, and lest it be overlooked, RODNEY FRIGGIN' DANGERFIELD.

Come on. It's goofy, it's fun, it doesn't cost more than the price of a pack of cigarettes to own. Rodney and Oscar may not mix, but live-action cartoons and Rodney go pretty well together.

Warning: Dangerfield Ahead!

[wes-connors · 5/10 · 29 July 2013]

"The Wally Sparks Show" - starring trashy Rodney Dangerfield (as Wally Sparks) - is taking a dump on its sponsors. Although popular, the show loses ad revenue and is threatened with cancellation. Network big-wig Burt Reynolds (as Lenny Spencer) orders Mr. Dangerfield to clean up his act. Spearheading a campaign to clean-up Talk TV is conservative "family values" politician David Ogden Stiers (as Floyd Preston), the governor of Georgia. Hoping to improve his image, Dangerfield accepts an invitation to the governor's mansion from Mr. Stiers' son Glenn Walker Harris Jr. (a "Wally Sparks" fan)...

For a sophomoric sex comedy starring Dangerfield, this isn't too bad. The director works well with a funny supporting cast, especially co-stars Debi Mazar and Eamonn Roche. As usual, first lady Cindy Williams (as Emily Preston) is an asset. Her strip poker sequence is hilarious. The film may be trying to satirize TV talk show hosts like Jerry Springer and Geraldo Rivera - who cleverly elicit trash talk from guests, but stay out of the mud. Howard Stern is a more apt comparison, but probably declined a appearance. There are plenty of other cameos, most inspired being Tony Danza as a New York "Taxi" driver.

***** Meet Wally Sparks (1/16/97) Peter Baldwin ~ Rodney Dangerfield, David Ogden Stiers, Cindy Williams, Debi Mazar

at least its adult satire

[Eraser81 · 6/10 · 4 January 2000]

When i first saw this movie at the theater, i didnt care for it. but after i saw it on video it seemed funnier to me, and i realized its got its moments. Rodney is always a barrel of laughs, no matter what the critics say.

Meet Rodney Sparks!

[anaconda-40658 · 4/10 · 28 April 2015]

Meet Wally Sparks (1997): Dir: Peter Baldwin / Cast: Rodney Dangerfield, David Ogden Stiers, Debi Mazar, Burt Reynolds, Cindy Williams: Misfire comedy about controversy and the media. Wally Sparks is a talk show host working as a mouth piece for issues that offend the general population. His show invites protests from the governor. A drunken incident at the governor's banquet has him shacked up faking a leg injury. Against the governor's wishes he airs a show in the mansion and overhears a scam against the governor and aims to sets things right. An interesting idea reduced to sitcom and a mindless climax. Director Peter Baldwin lends too much emphasis on close-ups and reactions. Rodney Dangerfield is the right comedian for this material with the exception of the violent climax that involves one-liners. David Ogden Stiers is wasted as the governor. It is obvious that he will see Sparks as a hero in the end. Also featuring flat performances by Debi Mazar as Wally's adviser, and Burt Reynolds whom cautions Sparks and gets nowhere. Cindy Williams also makes an appearance as the governor's wife. Potential theme reduced to formula but that is the least of the film's problems. It is as cheap as Wally's disguises when he ventures outside to see his son. Basically a vehicle for Dangerfield but even that is not enough to make anyone want to meet Wally Sparks. Score: 4 ½ / 10

Classic Rodney

[wolfgangess · 10/10 · 22 July 2010]

I am a huge fan of Rodney and thought this movie was hysterically funny!!! Trust me anyone who enjoys Rodney Dangerfield humour will LOVE this flick!!! If you didn't like it the first time (and you are a Rodney fan), Trust me watch it again, it's even better the 2nd time around!!! His one-liners were originally crude & FUNNY!!! Quote: I am here to spread Joy, if I can find her?

Many many cameo appearances from celebrities and movie stars (from Michal Bolton to Bert Reynolds to porn king Ron Jeremy) adds to this enjoyable flick!

Definitely recommend for all Rodney fans!!!

Far from being a classic. but it made me laugh.

[mark.waltz · 6/10 · 15 April 2022]

When you watch a Rodney Dangerfield movie, you know what you're going to be dead in, hysterical insult comedy that takes digs at the proprieties of society's most pretentious entities. Here, it's politics and world of daytime TV talk shows, and as the title character, Dangerfield takes the tackiness of that genre and expands it times ten. Real-life daytime talk show hosts (minus Oprah) make cameos as themself to comment on Sparks and his methods, innocent girl joined by other various celebrities find themselves and a few playing minor characters in the film. Dangerfield goes after governor David Ogden Stiers, having gotten the information that Stiers has been sleeping with the beautiful Lisa Thornhill which of course there's more to the story about.

Cindy Williams is very funny as Stiers' square wife, and Glenn Walker Harris, Jr. Enjoyable as their very young son. Debi Mazar also scores laughs as Dangerfield's agent. Among the comic highlights of the film is the party sequence where Dangerfield ends up with a particular object in his pants that insinuates a certain body part, hysterically tangoing with Williams, and later playing cards with her and several of her society friends and getting them drunk. The comedy is typical Dangerfield, crass but funny, and there are some moments when the film actually has some elements of sweetness. A must for Dangerfield fans, his delightful caustic style the perfect medication for what ails the world.

Run from Wally Sparks as fast as you can (1997)

[Idolprincess · 3/10 · 16 June 2004]

I'm not a movie snob. There's many movies I found funny or interesting that most viewers would find terrible. I'm also a huge fan of 80's comedies. There's usually two types of movies that I enjoy watching. The first type is intelligent and creative movies, and the second type is silly, "guilty pleasure" type movies. But this.. THIS..

This definitely wasn't a guilty pleasure. "Meet Wally Sparks" is one of the most stupid movies I've ever seen and relies on sexual humor all the time to make their viewers laugh. A very rude talk show host has to save his reputation. This could have been funny. This could have made fun of all the terrible talk shows that are out there. But it wasn't funny at all in my opinion. The movie lost it's credibility to me right from the beginning when REAL talk show hosts gave their opinions about Wally Sparks.

Okay, if you're with a group of friends and you're all really tired, you might laugh at certain parts of the film. However, when I DID laugh, it was at the stupidity of the movie and not at their attempts at humor. The worst thing is when you realize it was made in 1997 when so many other better comedies were made before.

Not only it wasn't funny, it was just pointless. I had a hard time following what was going on because it was just so badly done.

I'm aware that very few people are actually going to rent this movie, but if you're someone like me who randomly picks movies at the video rental place, I only have one advice; avoid this one. Some people might find it amusing, but probably not more than that..

treated bad by critics and other people

[jaws! · 29 September 1999]

i thought it was a funny movie,and a few scenes were very funny. it's never boring or stupid. there are a few,and i do mean few scenes that are unfunny,but not stupid. the plot holes are the only thing that keeps this movie from a bulls-eye,but it still has a number of laughs. i give meet wally sparks **1/2 out of ****

Doesn't even rise to the level of sophomoric

[Redils · 1/10 · 12 February 2012]

I feel so sorry for the big names in this movie AND Rodney Dangerfield because this thing is just an embarrassment for all concerned and this comes from a fan of most of them, including Rodney. If you can make it through the opening credits without wincing, then maybe you'll make it through the rest of the movie which really doesn't get any better, at least in the half I managed to complete.

The first 10 minutes are sophomoric but I might be selling sophomores short. After watching that, I decided to catch up on emails while listening and occasionally looking up at the TV. I was thinking that there MUST be something coming to justify the positive reviews here in IMDb and the participation by the well-known actors. But if there was, there should have introduced it earlier.

Thank goodness I was able to catch up on the emails otherwise it would have been a complete waste of the 45 minutes I kept it on before shutting down the whole system. Now, I'm going to clean the TV and make a sincere effort to forget what was just on it. If anyone asks me when the US began its downward slide, I'll say 1997 and reference "Meet Wally Sparks".

sorry Rodney......

[rupie · 3/10 · 2 July 1999]

Maltin says all that needs be said about this dog. I am a Dangerfield fan, but can find nothing to recommend in this sophomoric effort.

A ripe target (daytime talk shows) gets off easy....

[Cragan · 3/10 · 13 February 1999]

Nothing in this world needs a hard-hitting satire like daytime talk shows. Unfortunately, this movie only spends a few minutes in the realm of 'Jerry Springer', and instead centers on some idiotic plot involving Dangerfield and some buffoonish governor. Rodney has a number of funny lines (about four), but his energy goes to waste..... this movie is dull, plodding, stupid, and a complete waste of a chance to kick daytime talk shows in the ribs. I'm pretty sure that no good movie has ever been made that has featured Morton Downey, Jr.

It's good enough for me

[dworldeater · 7/10 · 28 July 2020]

I guess this movie flopped both commercially and critically. I personally liked it at the time and still do, but I get why this wasn't a big hit. Meet Wally Sparks, has Rodney Dangerfield play a talk show host that specializes in raunchy television with outrageous and controversial guest. Not too far off from Jerry Springer. While Wally Sparks is well loved by his audience, the advertisers are pulling out like crazy due to the controversial content of the show. Wally convinces his producer(Burt Reynolds) to give him another shot and is an excuse for Rodney to do his jokes and one liners for 90 minutes. While his character is a bit crude and crass, Rodney still plays him as a nice guy that is easily likeable. By 1997 this sort of comedy was a bit out of date and a lot of the cheap humor, constant one liners and slapstick comedy didn't go over to well for this generation. However, if you keep in mind that this isn't the best movie and are a fan of Rodney Dangerfield you should have a good enough time with Meet Wally Sparks. This is not high brow entertainment, it's just supposed to be funny, plain and simple. I would not consider this Rodney's best film, but for me, it's still funny and that's good enough for me.

No redeeming social value...at all

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 2/10 · 18 July 2015]

When I was growing up, I used to like Rodney Dangerfield when he would appear on shows like "The Ed Sullivan Show"; of course, my grandparents (with whom I lived) hated him. Later, when he showed up on "The Dean Martin Show" fairly often, I still liked him. And there were a few pretty good and funny movies he made (e.g., "Easy Money").

But when we get to "Meet Wally Sparks"...well, I'd say it was a total waste of celluloid, but of course they don't make film on celluloid nowadays. So I'll summarize by saying it is one of the DUMBEST movies I should have never watched,

First, sorry to say, but Rodney was so old when this film was made that he couldn't really walk or move right. Time to retire.

Second, scene after scene is nothing more than a litany of vulgar jokes that are totally low class.

Third, the story, which had some potential, was handled so poorly that it ruined it. It's as if the producer and director said, "Just keep filling up the script with vulgar jokes and scenes. Wde'll make money off the raunch crowd."

Finally, shame on Debi Mazar, Burt Reynolds, David Ogden Stiers, and Cindy Williams for appearing in such a really dumb movie.

I suppose ultra hardcore fans of Dangerfield will like this, but my advice is don't waste your time.

Sparks big laughs by the minute!

[mattymatt4ever · 8/10 · 8 May 2001]

Rodney said, promoting his movie, when people write movies they think they're writing "Gone with the Wind." This movie is FAR from "Gone with the Wind," but if you're as much as a fan of Rodney as I am--and who doesn't love him?--you will have a great time! I can't understand why this movie didn't fare well at the box office. When I went to see it, there were only a few people, but the few that were in there were laughing hysterically! I saw it twice in theaters, and the second audience was doing the same! Especially the statue-penis scene. I think that has to one of the funniest moments ever captured on film and that really brought the house down! Of course, expect to see a chock full of Rodney one-liners, including: "We now come to a part of the show called 'It's Hard to Believe.' Or as my wife used to say..."I can't believe it's hard" and "The problem with me is I'm sitting on top of the world, and I've got hemmerhoids!" I'm not going to give away the rest of the lines, because that would be sinful. The gags are absolutely priceless! Sure, this is another outrageous comedy with the plot structure of a TV sitcom, but with Rodney in the front seat--How can you possibly go wrong? Also, keep your eye out for cameos by numerous talk show hosts and a special appearance by Burt Reynolds in one of his worst wigs...LOL.

My score: 8 (out of 10)

Entertaining film given the circumstances

[magellan333 · 5/10 · 29 July 2007]

Meet Wally Sparks, if not taken seriously in any context, is an entertaining film. It is full of Rodney Dangerfield's crude humor and funny one-liners. The supporting cast does their job adequately with the exception of Burt Reynolds. He seems really out of place in this movie. Like others who have commented, I can only assume he wanted to pay some bills or perhaps owed Rodney Dangerfield a favor. The plot is quite simple, but what can one expect from a movie starring Rodney Dangerfield? If you have a warped or crude sense of humor, you will likely find this an entertaining film that serves to pass the time on a rainy afternoon. If you have any reservations about the crude humor, skip it.

Some laughs, but not enough

[Wizard-8 · 20 September 1999]

A lot of energy was put into this movie. Dangerfield has some funny one-liners, but a lot of them are not funny, or you'll guess before he utters them. The plot is alternately meandering or frozen for long periods of time. (And the plot should have stayed at the talk show subject, not some dumb plot about Dangerfield crashing a govenor's pad.) Replay the climatic interview scene after watching it once - you'll see that some of Dangerfield's actions don't make that much sense. Also, see how many times the director shoots Dangerfield from the neck down - obviously, it's a stunt double.

A memo to Burt Reynolds: don't wear that particular toupee again.

Don't Meet Wally Sparks

[DJ_Shilo · 1/10 · 22 November 2023]

"Meet Wally Sparks," is the new comedy from legendary comedian Rodney Dangerfield. In an adolescent way, he plays a TV show host of "The Wally Sparks Show," sort of a spoof of Television where fights, nudity and foul language, referred to as "Trash Television," are on full display. His show Is about to be cancelled if he doesn't clean up his act. Trash TV is all the rage right now such as "The Jerry Springer Show," which has audiences tuning in at alarming rates every day along with the politicians and conservative media moguls who hate the format and address the subject matter in regards to what they call "acceptable," and this movie can't even get that idea right.

Wally (Rodney Dangerfield) happens to be the most tasteless of them all. His ratings are taking a dive, but he's extremely popular among the people who love him, sort of mirroring Howard Stern for being a shock jock, who is referenced in the opening of the film as he is the Bad Boy of Radio. Wally's show includes planting a banana between a woman's cleavage while trying to consume it, and Wally, who looks like a bulldog with jowls, cracks every dirty joke he can think of, and the audience eats it up.

Such antics catch the attention of his boss, Lenny Spencer, (Burt Reynolds,) who gives Wally an ultimatum - he has to clean up the show, or he's cancelled. At the center is the snobby Governor of Georgia, Floyd Paterson, (David Ogden Stiers,) who is about to run for Senate on a platform of family values. He sees the Sparks show as a hindrance to his campaign and Wally as a menace.

Rodney is a very funny man, and he has certainly earned his name but the movie feels like a 75-year-old trying to prove he is still funny by acting like a clown and cranking out crude and horny old geezer jokes every time he talks and none of it is funny.

Wally's producer and camera-hiding sidekick, Sandy (Debi Mazer) comes up with an idea to increase ratings when they get invited to a fundraiser by the governor's son who is a fan of Wally. Governor Floyd is a staunch convective who is known for attacking low-brow humour and Wally's show. Her idea is for Wally to convince the governor to appear on the Wally Sparks Show as a way of showing that Wally can do something new. Yeah right! Of course, the usual chaos erupts when the Governor finds out he is at the party.

In true Dangerfield fashion, Wally wears a ridiculous floral tuxedo and green suspenders. He joylessly disrupts the guests while cracking more crude jokes until he rides a drunken horse through the party and crashes. What better idea than to fake an injury to stay at the mansion so he can film every nook and cranny, hoping it will save his show? Of course, he stumbles on a sex scandal plot by accident because the screenplay is just as dumb as he is.

I did crack up at one scene, but I felt cheated for it. Wally grabs the Governor's, easily corruptible wife, Emily (Cindy Williams,) and tangos with her, He says "Hold on, someday you can be the first lady," but to her snobby chagrin, she pushes him away from her, and he rams into the Governor bending over. Wally doesn't seem to realize that a broken phallic-looking piece of statue, he put in his pocket earlier is bulging from his drawers. You can figure out the rest!

Most of the third act is Wally trying to get the governor to do his show while investigating the sex scandal with an actress, and when secrets are revealed, it turns into a violent confrontation with swords that gets so ridiculous. Even more so, there is a dumb wedding at the end that makes zero sense even for a brain-dead comedy such as this.

"Meet Wally Sparks's" most crucial problem is that it feels like a sequence of skits put together that has no anchor. The staccato of Dangerfield's one-liners and sexual innuendoes wear out very fast as it relies on comedy routines more than anything to try and generate laughs along with situations, such as a strip poker game that is supposed to be funny but even Dangerfield feels like he doesn't want to be there. Cindy Williams, dancing drunk in her underwear, is embarrassing. None of the jokes land, the story is a stupid mess, much like anything this movie has to offer.

1/10.