Man of the Year (2006) Review: Ranking Robin Williams’ Political Satire
Is Man of the Year (2006) a good movie? No, Man of the Year is arguably one of the most boring films in Robin Williams' catalog. While it features a brilliant comedic setup, the film completely undercuts its own message, placing it firmly in the lower tier of our ultimate movie ranking and review.
The Premise: What is Man of the Year About?
Tom Dobbs (Robin Williams) is a cynical, Jon Stewart-style political comedian who mocks the U.S. election process on his TV show. After jokingly encouraging his viewers to vote for him, Dobbs unexpectedly wins the presidency due to a combination of voter apathy and a new electronic voting system. However, when a young programmer uncovers a software flaw that altered the results, the film shifts from a sharp satire to a political thriller, as Dobbs grapples with whether to expose the truth.
What Works: A Tailor-Made Role
Robin Williams is great, as always, and this character is one of the closest to his real-life persona. This role was basically "easy mode" for him, allowing him to flex his natural comedic and improvisational muscles. If the movie had actually committed to its premise, it could have been genuinely funny and surprisingly sharp, offering real commentary about voting for entertainers.
What Doesn't Work: Undercutting the Premise
The biggest problem with Man of the Year is that it doesn’t believe in itself. The movie spends way too much of its runtime undercutting its own message just to appear “realistic”. By pivoting to a software glitch that alters the results, it turns the entire narrative into a weird non-event. Basically, none of it mattered, and he didn't really win, retroactively making the premise feel like a dream sequence the film is too afraid to stand behind.
The Robin Williams Ranking & Performance Score
Robin Williams Performance Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) Because the character is so close to his actual persona, Robin easily earns a perfect 5-star performance.
Good Mourning Robin Ranking: In our highly competitive ranking, this film is a complete snooze. The worst episode of The West Wing is funnier and more engaging than this. It sits below House of D and above Club Paradise.
FAQ: Man of the Year (2006) Movie
What is Man of the Year (2006) about? A political comedian runs for president as a joke and unexpectedly wins, only to discover his victory was the result of a voting machine software glitch.
Does Robin Williams play the president? He plays Tom Dobbs, a comedian who wins the presidency, though the film pivots to focus on a software glitch that invalidates his win.
How does Robin Williams' performance rank? In our review, he earns a 5-star score. Playing a political comedian was a perfect, natural fit for his talents, even if the script failed to support him.
