Review: ‘Don Verdean’ buries the punchlines in an Old Testament archaeology comedy

Filmmaker Jared Hess has struggled to find his comedic voice over the decade since the breakout success of “Napoleon Dynamite.”

His latest attempt, “Don Verdean,” finds Hess and his spouse and writing partner, Jerusha, rooting around in Christopher Guest territory with their spoof about a self-proclaimed biblical archaeologist who supposedly tracks down Old Testament relics. The end result, however, fails to unearth much laughter.

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As the title character, the reliable Sam Rockwell manages to scam a fundamentalist pastor (Danny McBride) into bankrolling his expeditions to the Holy Land in search of the salty remains of Lot’s wife or the head of Goliath.

Pressured to deliver the latter, a desperate Verdean fakes it by plundering the grave of Johnny Jerusalem, a famous wrestler with cerebral gigantism and passes the noggin off as the Real McCoy.

While the corrupt Indiana Jones conceit certainly held promise, the Hesses fail to move it much further beyond that “what if” premise, taking weak, obvious potshots at its fundamentalist target.

Also a victim of arrested development is Rockwell’s Verdean, who becomes increasingly upstaged by chameleon comic actor Jemaine Clement as his arrogant Israeli partner in crime, Boaz.

Even with the likes of Amy Ryan and Will Forte providing capable backup, it all grows ancient, fast.

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“Don Verdean.”

MPAA rating: PG-13 for crude and suggestive content, some language and brief violence.

Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes.

Playing: Laemmle Playhouse 7, Pasadena.