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TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY |
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"I Bet We Win The
Box-Office Race, Too!" |
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Directed by Adam McKay -
Written by Adam McKay,
Will Ferrell
Starring Will Ferrell,
John C. Reilly, Sacha
Baron Cohen, Gary Cole,
Leslie Bibbs
Distributed by Columbia -
2006 - 105mins - Rated
PG13 |
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The story of a man who could only count to #1! |
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Is "Talladega Nights:
The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" a classic American comedy?
Ummm. Nope.
Is "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" the best comedy I've
seen this year?
Ummmm. Nope, I can't say that it is.
What is "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" then?
That's simple. It's Will Ferrell.
If you enjoy Will Ferrell comedies, then you will enjoy "Talladega
Nights." In fact, if you've enjoyed ANY of Will Ferrell's comedies
then you are likely to find something here you will enjoy.
This, his second cinematic collaboration with Adam McKay ("Anchorman:
The Legend of Ron Burgundy" being the first), is similar in tone,
look, attitude and comedy to their first film together and features
Ferrell's trademarks of physical comedy, fearless antics and
Sandleresque mix of lightweight sentimentality and over-the-top
stupidity.
By now, if you don't know the basic storyline of "Talladega Nights"
then you probably are not a Will Ferrell fan. The film offers a take
on the NASCAR circuit featuring Ferrell as Ricky Bobby, a young man
who stumbles into a chance to drive a race whose fearlessness takes
him to the top of his sport and on top of his smokin' wife (Leslie
Bibbs). A potentially career-ending crash causes him to lose
everything, and a more brash, even more fearless driver (Sacha Baron
Cohen) takes his place at the top of NASCAR.
What, oh what, will happen?
C'mon. This is a Will Ferrell comedy. There's no suspense. Ricky Bobby
will bounce back, be ever so slightly humbled and end up a better
human being for it all. Do you really expect a Will Ferrell comedy
where Will Ferrell doesn't end up on top? Please!
"Talladega Nights," however, isn't so much about the journey, the
plot, the story or the suspense. It's about the jokes...the sarcastic
comments, subtle jibs, long and drawn-out situations and the way Ricky
Bobby relates to everyone in his life.
The storyline? Who really cares, anyway?
Ferrell, who has been stretching himself lately by appearing in a
Woody Allen film and "Winter Passing," returns to the kind of film
that bankrolls his indie pet projects with "Talladega Nights." This
isn't meant to be great cinema, and it's almost comical to consider
that a critic's opinion even matters here...This is a Will Ferrell
comedy. It's funny. It's silly. It's pointless. It's funny. Have I
mentioned it's funny?
Perhaps Ferrell's increasing power at the box-office is evident in the
quality of his supporting players, but the lack of storyline is made
almost irrelevant thanks to Ferrell's marvelous chemistry with the
likes of John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams, Gary Cole
and the aforementioned Cohen.
Reilly, who we're really not used to seeing like this, is downright
hilarious as Cal, Ricky's best friend and right-hand man. Reilly alone
elevates the film above mediocrity with an earnest, dry presentation
that perfectly balances Ferrell's outlandishness. The same could be
said for Gary Cole, as Ferrell's malt-liquored up daddy, whose
stunning ability to deliver mind-alteringly deadpan humor without even
a semblance of facial expression is put to perfect use here.
On the flip side, the scenes between Cohen, who plays almost the
anti-Bobby (or "Booby!" as he says), are alive with hilariously stupid
electricity. Cohen plays Jean Girard, a gay French-speaking, Camus
reading driver whose brash driving quickly makes him a circuit
favorite. Cohen and Ferrell play off each other hilariously, while
Cohen gets a counter-balance opposite his lover (played deliciously by
Andy Richter).
The rest of the supporting cast, while funny, is largely
under-utilized. Most notably, Amy Adams and Molly Shannon seem sadly
under-used. For Adams, however, what an ideal career move to follow
her Oscar-nominated performance in last year's "Junebug" with a
sure-fire supporting role in a guaranteed money-making machine.
"Talladega Nights," for most, will be a notch below "Anchorman." I, on
the other hand, would place it a slight notch above...this may very
well be simply due to my being from Indianapolis, a noted racing city.
It may very well be due to my being in a racing mood with the
"Brickyard 400" this weekend...or, it may be simply because I adore
Will Ferrell, and unlike "Anchorman," this film is nearly all about
Ferrell and his interpretation of Ricky Bobby.
"Talladega Nights" has a slightly higher number of jokes that miss,
however, the jokes that hit are often extremely funny. Whereas even
the look of "Anchorman" didn't quite rest well with me, "Talladega
Nights" pokes fun at NASCAR by vividly, and pretty darn accurately,
recreating its atmosphere.
So, there you have it.
"Talladega Nights" is a Will Ferrell comedy. If you love Will Ferrell,
as I do, then "Talladega Nights" will make you laugh without making you
lose too many brain cells. If, on the other hand, you've never quite
enjoyed a Ferrell film then "Talladega Nights" isn't going to change
your mind.
"Talladega Nights" is the perfect summer movie, a light-hearted,
occasionally heart-warming and frequently funny film about Ricky
Bobby...a man so great he's got his own ballad!
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© Written by Richard Propes -
Email Me! |
TC Candler's Comment
n/a
Jacob Hall's
Comment
There are two kinds of people in this world:
those who like “Anchorman” and those who don’t.
“Talladega Nights” is intended for those who
felt that “Anchorman” was a comic masterpiece.
Well, I think that it is one of the funniest
movies of the past five years, but “Talladega
Nights” never achieves the supreme comic lunacy
of the last Will Ferrel Adam McKay outing. With
the exception of a hysterical dinner prayer
sequence, nothing in this film is as fresh or as
funny as what we’ve already seen these two
accomplish.
Don’t get me wrong…this is a funny movie…but
it’s also a very forgettable one. Twenty minutes
after it was over, I realized that I wasn’t
replaying jokes in my head or sharing my
favorite gags with my friends. There is no
longevity here. It’s fun for it’s duration, but
it won’t join my DVD shelf.
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