Rating: 
Summary: understated hilarity of a musical nature
Review: Ah, the world needs more laughter, and Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy have joined together with the usual suspects to bring you some as they skewer folk music (and the musicians who commit it) with affection and understated bite. I laughed out loud many times while watching this tale of the reunion concert of Mitch & Mickey (Levy and Catherine O'Hara), The Folksmen (Guest, Harry Shearer and Michael McKean), and The New Main Street Singers -- a group with a hilarious backstory ("This thing clicked with the Clappers") and outrageous characters ("There was abuse in my family ... primarily of a musical nature"). In addition to Bob Balaban, Ed Begley Jr, Larry Miller and Fred Willard, it's great to have Parker Posey working with this talented ensemble, and this film would make a wonderful double feature with the team's earlier This is Spinal Tap. As with the earlier film, the songs are spot-on sound-alikes -- but make sure you listen to the lyrics!DVD extras include: hilarious and low-key (what else?) commentary by Levy and Guest; 15 additional scenes, which are VERY funny; TV appearances by Mitch & Mickey and The Folksmen; a "broadcast" of the reunion concert; backstories for the three bands; a trailer; a soundtrack spot; cast & crew information. The film can be heard in English or French, and subtitles are available in English, French or Spanish. Make sure to watch the end credits, which nicely underscore the ensemble nature of the project.
Rating: 
Summary: Guest delivers again!
Review: If you enjoyed Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show, you are guaranteed to enjoy A Mighty Wind. Including most of the usual cast members (Guest, McKean, Levy, O'Hara, Willard, etc) the acting is brilliant and even more sincere than the last two movies. At times, A Mighty Wind is almost drama. But there are plenty of hilarious moments to make you laugh out loud. Fred Willard is the funniest I've ever seen playing a producer who is very proud of his old TV series which flopped after one show. Of course, this movie is in mockumentary format (a style which Guest has now made his trademark) and it works to great effect. Especially when we see images contradicting what the actor is saying.... "We're not witches or anything like that."
Highly recommended comedy for those who are looking for more than just slapstick and cheap gags.
Rating:
Summary: Makes up for Best in Show
Review: After the classic Waiting for Guffman and the fiasco of Best in Show, I was torn in my desire to see A Mighty Wind. As small movies never come to my neck of the woods, I knew I would have to wait for it to come out on video. To tide me over, I got the soundtrack, which served to both satisfy me and lighten my suspicions about its quality. I was both right and wrong. A Mighty Wind is better--much better--than Best in Show but not as good as Waiting for Guffman. When the manager of 1960s folk bands the Folksmen, Mitch & Mickey, and the Main Street Singers dies, his son (Bob Balaban) organizes a tribute concert to his memory. The trouble comes in reassembling the bands again, particularly Mitch of Mitch & Mickey, who has spent the last several years in a mental hospital. One of the downsides of A Mighty Wind is held firmly in the role of Mitch played by Eugene Levy. His performance is masterful, but it appears almost to be in the wrong film. If one truly empathizes with what his character has gone through, it is saddening. Yet, it is being played for laughs. And, as it is laughs I expect from this film, this makes it unsuccessful. I am unsure whether to laugh or cry. Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer (the former members of Spinal Tap) are excellent together as the Folksmen. They have mastered this kind of music just as they did heavy metal. Additionally, their chemistry is still palpable. Shearer and Guest each mug a bit, but this is to be expected; it is a mockery of the styles of these performers, after all. John Michael Higgins (who played Michael McKean's ostentatious partner in Best in Show) and Jane Lynch (Jennifer Coolidge's lesbian love interest in the same film) of the New Main Street Singers come across the best as they let the laughs come from their characters naturally. Of course, I found an instant laugh in the irony that the two most dramatic gay characters from Best in Show are married to each other in A Mighty Wind. Balaban (the musical director in Guffman) has a fun part as the son of the dead manager. His dislike of folk music does not hold back his interest in organizing this tribute. Balaban is a master of frustration; his eyes show it all, and reactions are his specialty. His pairing with Michael Hitchcock as Hitchcock attempts to explain all the technicalities of a television broadcast in the funniest scene in the film. A Mighty Wind is a really good look at the characters in the folk community and shows that the actors have not lost their touch. Making another Guffman is out of the question now with so many great actors at their disposal, but as long as Guest and company keep making movies that are touching and funny, I'll still be right there watching. Improvisation is an art that is showing a resurgence in the form of these movies and the television show "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" and I, for one, am glad to see it happen.
Rating: 
Summary: Not as good as their past movies
Review: I eagerly awaited this film to come out on DVD since I am a huge Christopher Guest/Eugene Levy fan. Although this movie is still much better than a lot of the stuff out there, I have to give it only 2 stars because it doesn't compare to their past films like "Waiting for Guffman" and "Best in Show". I thought some of the funniest scenes were in the bonus deleted scene footage so I highly recommend you watch this if you buy or rent the DVD. I hope that for their next movie Guest/Levy live up to their potential.
Rating:
Summary: A Mighty Fine Film
Review: As a composer and producer of music for films & TV, I was taken with the superb performances by the artists of all the songs in "A Mighty Wind." Equally important was the masterful recording and mixing techniques of the engineers. The harmonies were beautifully arranged, and each song was aptly crafted to fit the personalities of the groups by whom they were performed. While some dialogue was so hilarious that I was literally screaming with laughter (notably Bob Balaban's description of his overly protective mother who made him wear a football helmet whenever he played in a chess match), other scenes were so tenderly written as to engender a genuine empathic feeling for the characters, even though the film never wanders from its intent as a "mockudrama." For those of us who traveled through the '60s with guitars on our backs, always ready to coerce some coeds on campus to join in a chorus of a song by the Limelighters, Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, Theodore Bikel, etc., "A Mighty Wind" will strike a familiar chord progression. If you are too young to have experienced that era, just enjoy this feature film as a blast from the present. Co-writers Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy are to be commended for their collaborative creation that seemed to touch this viewer on many aspects. Having seen all of Christopher Guest's films, I would rate this as the best yet for his attention to brilliantly crafted comedic understatement, while capturing the essence and spirit of the music & lyrics of the 1960's folk genre so wonderfully.
Rating:
Summary: Subtle Comedy at it's Best
Review: A Mighty Wind is a joy to watch. The use of the english language, long forgotten in Hollywood, is amazing. So many thoughtful and fun lines abound in this film that it can be viewed over and over and still seem fresh. The music isn't played for laughs, even if the situations are. Its easy to ignore the documentary aspects of this film because it does such a great job as a traditional narrative. The doc elements are like a Shakespearean aside, furthering the backstory and not telling the tale ahead. The bonus features show how detailed an artist Guest is, especially when you see the classic TV appearances these folk singers made. It lacks the counter-culture charm of Waiting for Guffman, but the cast, especially Harry Shearer, bring in a new flavor worth watching.
Rating: 
Summary: Give it a Wide Berth
Review: Rolling Stone really liked this; I guess their taste is all in their mouth. A Mighty Wind is a send-off of the 60's folk music scene, and I believe it should be exported to there as soon as possible. Imagine Spinal Tap on Quaalude. Better yet, Peter, Paul, and Mary on phenobarbital. Miss this movie by as much as you can.
Rating:
Summary: Just Not Funny
Review: I heave seen all of Guest's previous works and have always split my sides laughing. This was not the case when I watched A Mighty Wind. There are too many characters and this fails to let viewers connect with them. Many other reviewers have mentioned the subtleness of the satirical elements of the plot but I just couldn't see it. The gags are too few and too far spaced. I could not wait for the ending when I had to put in Waiting for Guffman for a real comedy fix.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but Not the Best Mockumentaria
Review: This latest effort let me down, being a big fan of Guest, Levy et al. They are so good in Spinal Tap, Best In Show and Waiting for Guffman. While this is enjoyable to watch, it lacks the punch and unique stiiickk of those previous mentioned releases. While mocking the folk group phenonemon, there is great acting and great music. Take offs on what I assume to be The Kingston Trio and The New Christy Minstrels and what I don't know Mickey and Mitch represent are well done. Folk musicians taking themselves and their musical genre too seriously along with their fans and associates is funny. As usual, Fred Williard is hilarious, and Levy is not what he was in the previous three. Guest doesn't play as prominent a role, but what a banjoer, eh? The satire and undertones were just not there for me in this as the others, but will continue to be a fan and await what is next.
Rating:
Summary: Wha Happened?
Review: Funny, funny, funny. Levy plays Mitch with so much character.His facial expressions are great & will make you laugh. Fred Willards one liners are great. Also the album covers will leave you laughing. As good as "Waiting for Guffman". Christopher Guest is great.
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