John C Reilly is fast becoming one of my favourite American comedy actors - and with good reason.

Reilly plays Dewey Cox, and delivers a brilliant central performance as the troubled American music legend - and he really can sing too.

When 12-year-old Dewey accidentally slaughters his brother with a machete (the doctor says it was a "particular bad case of someone being cut in half") - Dewey is forced to leave home and in doing so embarks on an amazing musical journey.

Cox sleeps with hundreds of women, marries twice, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own TV variety show, makes friends with everyone from Elvis to a chimp, and gets addicted to every drug known to man.

Despite his troubled past Cox becomes a musical legend and earns the love of longtime backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer).

But it isn't long before Dewey's being shipped off to rehab again, and when he comes back he realises he's missed out on the lives of his 22 children and sets about making things right.

This film has some of the most catchy and amusing soundtrack of any film to date.

Packed with sexual innuendo and delivered with straight-faced conviction, lines like "In my dreams you're blowing me..... some kisses....," will have you laughing all the way home.

One of the best parts are the cameos by Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Jason Schwartzman and Justin Long as the Beatles.

Another classic moment is Dewey's first wife, having baby after baby and repeatedly telling him that he'll always be a failure.

Music fans will also enjoy spotting the similarities to the 'real' musical legends, like Johnny Cash (who also loses a brother and marries his backing singer), and Ray Charles (who loses his sight - and Dewey loses his sense of smell)- and I'm sure many more that music buffs will spot.

It is a shameless parody of Ray and Walk the Line - but is such an enjoyable spoof, that you won't hold it against it.