Review: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
You know the phrase, "I laughed so hard I cried"? It can really happen, as this movie happened to me. I thought Anchorman was funny but silly. The Legend of Ron Burgundy team is back with The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Here the Adam McKay/Will Ferrell style of grand goofiness is taken to a whole new level. Everyone gets funny lines, right down to each member of the pit crew.When people start gushing about the dream casts of All the King's Men or The Departed, they are just asking for a Talladega bomb to get dropped:
Will Ferrell
Sacha Baron Cohen (TV's Ali G & Borat)
John C. Reilly
Michael Clark Duncan
Jane Lynch
Gary Cole
Amy Adams
Molly Shannon
Greg Germann
Andy Richter
Rob Riggle
Ian Roberts
Jack McBrayer
The last three are guys I've seen perform long-form improv on a regular basis for the last five years at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theaters in NYC and LA. I mention this, because this movie has the feel of a good Del Close-style Harold. Every scene is full of comedic games and an 'oh yeah, top this' attitude to the performances that is awe-inspiringly good. Del would approve of the limbic dexterity in such lines as "Ima comatchu like a spidermonkey" and "What everyone hopes to do in their retirement, design a currency for cats and dogs."
The plot itself isn't perfect, although it does manage more sincerity than Little Miss Sunshine even as an afterthought to the comedic setpieces. Director Adam McKay, former head writer for Saturday Night Live and Second City improviser knows well when to let the performers off-leash (as the credit out-takes demonstrate). Giddy on budget, he lets one or two ridiculously unnecessary CG shots into the otherwise efficiently shot racing sequences. But this movie is really about the performances.
Sacha Baron Cohen strays into Johnny Depp territory, playing Bobby's French rival with such straight-faced whimsy that it approaches camp -- but in the final analysis, his performance is the prefect antidote to Ferrell's chevychasian cluelessness. Jane Lynch and Gary Cole are outstanding as the parents of Ricky Bobby; but it is John C. who proves Ferrell's worthiest sparring partner. As life-long friends and then hapless rivals, their relationship forms the heart of the movie; and whenever the two were talking to each other on screen, I could not stop laughing.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is in a tie for first as my favorite movie this year. While Tristram Shandy was funny and deep, Taladega was deeply funny.
A PARALLAX VIEW: Scott Macaulay's gushing praise.
posted by J. Ott @ 8/07/2006 10:45:00 AM
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6 Comments:
Today is almost over here on the East Coast, John, and I see no post. Don't you know the world revolves around this time zone?
Some of us have to pack and find long-term parking for our vehicles today.
First SUNSHINE, then LADY IN THE WATER, now this: It's OVER between us!!!!!!!!!!!!! Didn't laugh a single time... just sat there depressed about how this sold out theater of teenage jocks and their blonde girlfriends will pay to see the next Will Farrell movie, then the next, then the next, without question, allowing the movies to get dumber... and dumber... and dumber. In a day and age where people are actually watching smart comedy (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development, Ali G ironically), and after generations of legendary SNL alumns (Murray, Martin, Murphy, etc etc etc), I ask: Is this the best we've got???
I laughed very hard in this movie...During the prayer when he was talking about Chip's leg and how the dog messes with it...CLASSIC! Or when the kids ask Grandma how long they have to keep picking up trash off the highway and her answer is "When you stop tossing the radio to grandma whhile she's int he bathtub (I am laughing again!)...If you didn't laugh once during this movie then you may be hopeless...
Well, I finally saw the much anticipated movie in question here, and I have to say it stunk. I pretty much got all the funny scenes from watching the trailers ... and I was so hoping it was jus that, a "teaser" of what was to come.
I couldn't help notice Will going in and out of character. One minute he was the idiot, the next he's tossing out more serious lines (i.e. when they played the trick on him towards the end about the mechanic being dead).
I just expected more. But as all those jocks and blondes going to see his movies, I'm sure I'll be in line for the next one. You can't blame him so much as the Marketing Machine that spoils all the fun for us before we have the chance to see the movie's golden moments for ourselves.
You have to appreciate the Gaston County racing scene to really see the humor in this movie. It captures the hometown southern racing to a tee. Super funny-we have seen it over & over and laugh just as loud each time. We obviously live 5 minutes from Cramerton where some of the movie was filmed.
*****
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