first all let comment audience loved first moment perhaps current events middleeast led people take attitude i came comedy george im going enjoy it whatever reason everybody seemed really comedy it last times woody tried straight comedy small time crooks curse jade scorpion hollywood ending ive felt like oneliners felt strained bit antiquated remember thinking one point that would funny early sixties going movie afraid woody becoming tone deaf however one comic sensibilities perfect tune admittedly plenty fellow aarp card carrying folks screening also plenty somethings somethings well seemed get give occasional belly laugh addition numerous guffaws chuckles like many instances throwaways people laughing loud missed next linebr br thematically woody traipsing familiar ground suspected trailer film lot manhattan murder mystery it again smidgen oedipus wrecks new york stories alice even little tribute broadway danny rose beginningbr br even woody movie scarlett sondra was times woodyproxy character far nebbish that say ferrell gave us melinda melinda kenneth branaugh attempted celebrity instead archetypal ticks quirks sondras nerdishness comes directly family history shares early on numerous occasions family business leads malapropisms get audience characters screen perceive strange nonsequiturs since joke cant help laugh laughs come recognizing woody nebbish truly character great extent unlike farrell branaugh cusack even mia farrow her scarlett required use woody voice evoke woody role thus find ripped narrative woodys voice suddenly emerges someone else facebr br as friend commented way out sid character played woody supporting role centerstage hoping going in however time woody seems written character truly fits current persona unlike ed dobel sage character anything else blind director hollywood ending time character comfortable fit perhaps importantly time character works story within elevated circles find in even fishoutofwater scarlett used great comedic effect throughout sid declining itinerant magician playing small audiences fact another era placed front center enjoymentbr br but jackman ian swearengen mcshane liked extent used piece particularly liked mcshanes short effective turns jackman charming ease old money often portrayed films  years ago class echoes purple rose cairobr br so think short answer maybe best straight comedy since s bullets broadway less stylized mighty aphrodite less caustic deconstructing harry less forced small time crooks hollywood ending woody finally found comic voice works st century