Reagan is such a conservatively-made movie that it would almost be pointless to go after the film for its politics. Revered to most as the first conservative president of the United States of America, Ronald Reagan’s presidency was a touchstone of the 80’s and there’s no denying how deep his political influence ran afterwards.

What we can pass judgment on is how terribly this biopic delivers information. Despite Dennis Quaid’s best efforts playing actor-turn-politician Ronald Reagan, this historical drama from director Sean McNamara (The Miracle Season, The King’s Daughter) is a colossal bore.

Quaid plays his role with such “aw-shucks” gumption that conveys a simultaneous sense of willfulness and wishfulness as Reagan anticipates how he’ll make a difference; either in his field of performance or towards larger aspirations with the support of others. However, Quaid’s part isn’t written with much range and neither is the film’s timeline. Seemingly important eras in Reagan, such as campaigning, are glossed over to highlight the former president’s achievements in office and as a governor.

Reagan is also told in flashback fashion from a Russian perspective, as former agent Viktor Petrovich (played by Jon Voight) recalls events leading up to the fall of the KGB for an interested, younger Russian agent (Alex Sparrow). Resembling a cheap version of Freud’s Last Session, Petrovich also fills us in on Ronald Regan’s backstory, leaving the viewer to question why Petrovich knows so much about his past adversary while Voight guides us through the movie as if he’s painstakingly reading through an encyclopedia. Voight’s caked-on accent also gets on our nerves, reminding true cinephiles of when he did a similarly hammy performance when he worked with McNamara as the baddie in Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2.

Those seeking a politically-charged character piece, such as Oliver Stone’s imperfect yet provocative W, will be sorely disappointed. With barely anything at stake throughout the two-and-a-quarter hour runtime and a roulette of random stars filling out a supporting cast of embellished cameos, Reagan doesn’t feel like anything more than nostalgia-bait for a conservative audience.

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Addison Wylie: @AddisonWylie