Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Review

I am not a fan of Will Ferrel. While he is the star of the one of the funniest Saturday Night Live sketches of all time (Celebrity Jeopardy), I don't find him to be particularly funny in film. Of all his movies, I only find one enjoyable (Elf, which is a modern Christmas classic). Nonetheless, I went in to Talladega Nights with an open mind. It's one of the most oft-quoted movies of the past decade, and is even rated Fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. However, I found most of Will Ferrel and Crew's antics to be juvenile at best, and intelligence-insulting at worst. I can get into stupid comedy, as long as it's funny. But this movie did not make me laugh, it made me squeamish.

Will Ferrel stars as Ricky Bobby, a racecar driver who's goal in life is "to go fast." According to him, "If you're not first, you're last." He builds his entire life and racing philosophy around this phrase, which is incredibly successful. Married to a hot trophy wife with 2 bratty kids and bringing in millions of dollars a year, with his best friend, played by John C. Reilly, at his side, it seems like nothing could derail his success. Then a world-renowned French Formula One driver, played by the insane Sasha Baron Cohen, comes to America to challenge Ricky Bobby's place as the nation's top driver. Supposed "hilarity" ensues as Ricky Bobby reaches rock bottom after being beaten by the French driver, and seeks to climb back to the top with some help from his family; including a pre-Glee Jane Lynch, and his alcoholic estranged father played by Gary Cole.

The problem with this movie is that it tries too hard. It tries to satirize the racing industry and the "rise and fall" of stars, but all it succeeds in is creating unfunny situations for these talented comedians to goof and around and try to generate a few laughs. A plot exists, but it is paper thin, and is little more then an outline for these men to run around screaming and ad-libbing in order to make a few laughs. The characters are over-the-top and ridiculous, and Will Ferrel's screaming man-child humor isn't very funny, at least to me.

In summary, Talladega Nights was yet another Will Ferrel comedy to feature his signature over-the-top performances and sarcastic egotistical characters. I was not impressed, and I found his attempts at humor rather dull and disheartening. I really hope that he makes more smart and funny movies like Elf, and less cheap, ridiculous, over-the-top movies like this one.

2/5

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