Plot Celebrity NASCAR racer Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) was born in a speeding car, so it’s hardly surprising that velocity should be his mistress. He has a “stone-cold fox” of a wife (Bibb) and the best friend a guy could ever hope for (Reilly), but when gay French “Formula Un” driver Jean Girard (Cohen) arrives on the scene, Ricky’s blessed life suddenly careens off track.
Here’s a tenuous critic’s theory for you: Will Ferrell’s only proper funny when he’s wearing an obvious wig. Evidence? Anchorman, Zoolander... wigs galore. In Kicking & Screaming and Bewitched, there’s not a syrup in sight. Talladega Nights is the latest exhibit to support this theory. In the canon of Ferrell’s absurdist comedies, The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby — which sees him sporting only mildly silly sideburns and a mini-beard — sadly rates as a minor entry.
It especially suffers when compared with Anchorman, from the same director (Ferrell’s fellow SNL alumnus, Adam McKay). Sure, this is more tightly scripted, and it’s technically superior to Anchorman in that it actually has a plot, high-octane race sequences and even a camera-trick or two. But there was a charm to Anchorman’s happy, scrappy, mostly studio-bound nature, and its freewheeling improv vibe at least meant the gags came thick and fast, so any misses were quickly forgotten amid the guffaws from the next hit. Not so here.
It has its moments. There’s a great dinner-table discussion about how everyone in the Bobby family likes to envision Jesus during grace, and, as Ricky’s assistant, Junebug’s Oscar-nommed Amy Adams reveals her comic talents rather late in the film with a fiery but ludicrous inspirational speech. John C. Reilly also proves himself a ‘straight’ actor with surprising comedy-improvisational talents, yet he’s never the equal of a Carrell, a Stiller, or a Wilson. Sacha Baron Cohen, though, is lumbered with a character which smothers his full comic talent — you’ll have to wait for the Borat movie to see that.
At the centre of it all is, of course, Ferrell. His Ricky Bobby is a well-enough-observed redneck gearhead, and he allows himself some smirk-worthy freak-outs. Most of the time, though, his shouty silliness and ad absurdum riffing are suppressed as Ferrell forces Ricky through a by-numbers sports movie plot, while McKay’s presumably distracted by all the stunt work. Both, it would seem, were too focused on revving the movie’s big, shiny engine to notice its tyres have been let down.
Verdict On the Ferrellometer, Talladega Nights sits just above Kicking & Screaming, when it should be redlining it up there with Anchorman.
Reviewed by Dan Jolin
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Average user rating for Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby
Now hold on!!
I saw the Empire review of this film and heart dropped, then I saw the fim and I have to say is good. Me and everyone i know who saw it has at least one quotable line and everyone laughed outloud a few times. Now compare this with the likes of Zoolander or any one of a number of Ben Stiller films and you have your self a good time in a box. Go see it. ... More
Posted by kingkane101 at 12:20, 25 February 2009 | Report This Post
DISAPOINTING but still good enough
will ferrel and sacha baron cohen are good together,had a few laughs but wanted it to be over sooner ... More
Posted by JohnPaul1996 at 22:18, 05 June 2008 | Report This Post
Don't follow the herd... Follow baby Jesus
Wrong Empire... and wrong Big Alex.
This film has some hilarious laugh out loud moments.
I can only imagine Empire's two star treatment is some crypto-political paranoia at the subtext (or something), and Big Alex was in a very bad mood when he watched it with no time for classic silliness in places.
It's hilarious in places. I only gave it three stars instead of four because if a five star comedy arrives on the scene, and I've given another film a four star, then the mathematical com... More
I like it, although Anchorman pisses all over it. I do remember however when Empire reviewed it, they gave it 5 stars, so what happened fellas? Come to your senses and realise it's ok, not great? ... More
Posted by tallaght24 at 15:34, 10 October 2007 | Report This Post
I like it, although Anchorman pisses all over it. I do remember however when Empire reviewed it, they gave it 5 stars, so what happened fellas? Come to your senses and realise it's ok, not great? ... More
Posted by tallaght24 at 15:34, 10 October 2007 | Report This Post
Apsolute Crap
This was an awful movie experiance, leaving you confused and very unsatisfied that a movie with Will Ferral in. Not funny not enjoyable and not watchable by anyone. Its over the top, as in NOT funny atall, Ferral has done an awful and dissapointing job. ... More
Funny movie made even funnier because I know people just like that. Helps to be from the South to appreciate it. Ferrell and Reilly are a great team and Sacha Baron Cohen should have been nominated for an Oscar for best supporting actor. ... More
Fucking hilarious pissed myself all the way through so many likeable characters John C Reily is the star of the show here and Walker and Texas Ranger are a riot too. The movie like anchorman is chocca full of quotable dialogue and is a welcome return to form for Farrel ... More
Posted by spideyfan666 at 01:13, 23 October 2006 | Report This Post
Talledgia Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
SPOILERS!
Talledgia Nights: The Ballaid of Ricky Bobby is a Will Ferrell/Sachia Baron Cohen vehicle (get it!) about the brief rise, big fall and rise again of a dumb red neck NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby. It has its funny moments and certainly picks up after a slow start when Sacha Baron Cohen arrives on the scene playing Rickys French Gay NASCAR rival stealing every scene he`s in with his Inspector Jacque Coustou like French accent and gay OTT antics. For me he was one of the ... More
Posted by Cruisecontroller at 15:04, 12 October 2006 | Report This Post
RE: Talledage Nights
It made me laugh ], though I can distinctly remember there being a fair few flat jokes and plodding moments. Sacha Baron Cohen, apart from his introductory scene, is not particularly funny, he lacks either a good french accent or a good parody of a french accent. I imagine if I watched it again I wouldn't like it as much, but it certainly did its job in the cinema. As good as Anchorman for me, though both films nosedive a bit in their final acts.
3.5/5
... More
Posted by banapaulo at 01:51, 12 October 2006 | Report This Post
Simultaneously hilarious and disappointing
Anchorman is a movie which just gets better and better the more you watch it. When it first came out, it felt marginally inferior to fellow Frat Pack fest Dodgeball. However, whilst Dodgeball is certainly a better movie – better plotted, with a proper story and stuff – it’s Anchorman which has become the bigger deal, widely quoted and responsible in the main for Will Ferrell’s AAA-status in Hollywood. With that in mind, Talledega Nights – a follow up in spirit if no... More
Posted by britesparc at 18:44, 07 October 2006 | Report This Post
RE: Talledage Nights
Very, very funny in places. All the secondary characters are well-done, but we don't see enough of the love interest for my liking. Bobby's dad and best friend in particular are really well done. Wasn't expecting to see Michael Clarke Duncan at all. Duncan's 'shit a chicken' line and the car being covered in sponsers after the heartwarming speech were the funniest bits for me.
7/10 ... More
I'm as shocked at some of the negative comments here as I was at Empire's frankly ludicrous review which was so far off the mark, I can only think they have some strange agenda and is further proof that Empire's finger slipped off the nub-of-credibilty years ago.
I thought this was funniest film of the year (so far), just pipping Clerks II. I was literally laughing every minute or so as was the rest of the cinema. It was pure, non-stop comedy gold. Every performance in it was fantastic, th... More
Disappointingly an average movie. It should drive by but instead stalls at severalhurdles. However, the comedy is perhaps the only thing keeping it together. Grade: B- ... More
Posted by premierbaron at 19:39, 05 October 2006 | Report This Post
RE: much better than empires two stars
Very very very disappointed. Hardly laughed at all. It was a case of trying too hard to be funny at times. ... More
Posted by Darth Vader at 14:21, 03 October 2006 | Report This Post
RE: much better than empires two stars
I didn't like it as much as I thought I would, I'm a big fan of Ferrell and I love Anchorman. Maybe thats the problem I'm having, constantly comparing it to Anchorman because Talladega Nights is nowhere near as funny. I smirked every now and then but I wasn't really enjoying it that much, and really good actors were wasted somewhat (Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen).
A disappointment. ... More
Posted by lord of the pies at 20:00, 02 October 2006 | Report This Post
much better than empires two stars
I would't be the biggest Will Ferrell fan- but this is by far his best fil to date much better than the in-joke that was Anchorman. a great supporting role from Gary Cole as his wayward father, and John C Reilly is grat as his equally dumb racing partner. A very funny dumb movie ... More
Posted by moviemaniac2 at 15:53, 30 September 2006 | Report This Post
talledega nights
Usually comedies are meant to make you laugh. I went to see this last night with a friend and shes a very 'laughy' person and a big will farrel fan. even she didn't laugh at this film.... apart from the grace scene at the beggining debating which 'Jesus' to say grace to. apart from that it wasn't a good/ Funny film ... More
Posted by orn-free-tada at 23:43, 29 September 2006 | Report This Post
RE: The Worst Film I've Ever Seen (by a long way)
L: DavidMBaker
This is easiestly the worst film I have ever seen and I have seen a lot. All the 'jokes' aren't really funny and as mentioned before the ones that are close are all in the trailer so your already sick of them by the time you see the film. Apart from them the film relies on anti-gay, anti-disabled, sexism, volgur youths to try and create laughs and in my case I just found it offensive. Not to mention the plot is ridiculous and some of their ideas on what wouldn't stop a race... More
Posted by Monkey Wrench at 13:35, 21 September 2006 | Report This Post
Still good and there are worse ways to pass 2 hours but it was yet another frat pack movie where all the good jokes were in the trailer or advert, dunno why I went to the cinema when I could have downloaded the trailer from iTunes and had the same experience! ... More
Posted by Richy T at 08:32, 21 September 2006 | Report This Post
RE: The Worst Film I've Ever Seen (by a long way)
steady on there, what were you expecting "A bout du Souffle"? its a pretty crash lightweight film, and yes it is absurd, Will Ferrells films tend to have a sense of absurdity, silliness and some vulgarity about 'em, thats what people (of all ages) like. anyways, of course thats your opinion and its as true and as fair as anyones. personally, i enjoyed it, laughed quite a bit, though i thought Cohen was pretty rubbish. his scenes mostly dragged and he just wasnt funny. John C Reilly was excellen... More
This is easiestly the worst film I have ever seen and I have seen a lot. All the 'jokes' aren't really funny and as mentioned before the ones that are close are all in the trailer so your already sick of them by the time you see the film. Apart from them the film relies on anti-gay, anti-disabled, sexism, volgur youths to try and create laughs and in my case I just found it offensive. Not to mention the plot is ridiculous and some of their ideas on what wouldn't stop a race are absurd. The entir... More
Posted by DavidMBaker at 11:15, 19 September 2006 | Report This Post
A dreadful film. In all my memory, I can not think of a worst film I have seen at the cinema!!!! Utter Shite! ... More
Posted by coppers at 22:26, 17 September 2006 | Report This Post
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