A Mighty Wind

**1/2 - With the exception of cases in which something truly unique and beautiful is presented, the old axiom of “too much of a good thing” can ring true. That particular saying is, unfortunately, the case with Christopher Guest’s 2003 film “A Mighty Wind”. While there is nothing ‘bad’ about this film per se, it pretty much just repeats the formula of his two earlier films with the same cast and a lot of repeated jokes. It is definitely entertaining for the most part, but there is nothing here that seems to advance the ideas already presented in the prior movies “Waiting for Guffman” and “Best in Show”. The performances are solid but not particularly intriguing, and the format feels somewhat tired here. There is some reverence displayed for what is skewered this time around (60’s folk music), which works against the comedic element. An added downside is the rather broad characteristics that are displayed by many characters and players, particularly Fred Willard, who – for my money – was easily the highlight of the first two films in the semi-series. This is kind of funny, but hardly worth watching if you’ve seen the two previous movies.