Review: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby


The story of the title redneck NASCAR driver (Will Ferrell), whose dead-beat father (Gary Cole, milking his recurring cameo for all it’s worth) instilled in him the truly profound motto ‘If you’re not first, you’re last!’ John C. Reilly (who of course was in “Days of Thunder”, a film that is referenced if not outright mocked) is the lunkhead best buddy and somewhat overshadowed team-mate (Ricky Bobby probably can’t spell ‘team’ anyway, as there’s no ‘I’ in it), Leslie Bibb is the shrill wife (did I mention their kids are named Walker and Texas Ranger? Well, there you go), Amy Adams (cute but thoroughly wasted) is the faithful nerdy assistant, and Jane Lynch plays the Ricky Bobby’s trashy mother. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen turns up as nefarious, gay, French rival Jean Girard.

 

Grossly over-extended, fitfully amusing 2006 Adam McKay vehicle (heh, heh- get it?) for the certainly talented Ferrell, who tries hard, in vain, to make it all funny. Aside from an hilarious discussion concerning saying grace (and the different formations/incarnations of Jesus Christ), it’s not overly funny.

 

Ferrell and the entire cast are certainly committed. Cole and Reilly are well-cast, meanwhile Sacha Baron Cohen’s snooty gay Frenchman may be offensive (to gays and the French), but in a film about the uber-hetero sport of NASCAR, it’s a fun idea, and the Brit comedian plays it perfectly. However, the cast can’t save this bloated film from being watchable at best. This is particularly so if, like me, you absolutely detest the monotonous pastime that is car racing (They go ‘vroom’...and? What else?...I thought so), of which there is much emphasis (and it’s quite well-staged, I guess).

 

Co-written by Ferrell and director McKay, as is always the case with Ferrell’s big-screen comedy outings (the best of which has been McKay’s “Anchorman”, unless you count the more ambitious “Stranger Than Fiction”) there are moments of comedic inspiration here and there, just not enough to recommend the film overall.

 

Rating: C+

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