Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Review by Fritz Esker
Even though Will Ferrell had been featured in some hit comedies (Elf, Old School) before 2004, it was 2004's Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy that catapulted him into superstardom. Anchorman is by no means a perfect comedy; it is uneven and some of the gags seem sloppily put together. However, the flaws don't matter all that much in the end in large part because of Ferrell's star-making turn. Ferrell plays a conceited boor and makes us laugh at his arrogance while simultaneously liking him. This is not an easy feat to pull off, but Ferrell makes it seem effortless. While Ferrell has starred in films since Anchorman (Kicking and Screaming, Melinda and Melinda, Bewitched), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby has the biggest build-up because it reunites him with Anchorman director/co-writer Adam McKay. Is Talladega Nights as good as Anchorman? I'd say not quite, but I'm willing to reserve final judgment until I see it a second time. But, the mere fact that I'd be willing to see it a second time should tell you that I did enjoy the film.
Talladega Nights is a comedic take on the bio-pic, a genre that studios love to use as Oscar bait (Gandhi, Ray, Malcom X, Walk the Line). Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, a redneck born in the back of a speeding car. His deadbeat dad (Gary Cole), during one of his brief appearances in young Ricky's life, tells him "if you ain't first, you're last," adding a streak of competitiveness to Ricky's love for cars. As an adult, he becomes NASCAR's hottest driver, with a loyal but taken-for-granted teammate (John C. Reilly), a trophy wife (Leslie Bibb), a neglected assistant (Amy Adams), and a new rival in the form of gay French driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen, better known the world as Ali G).
The film parodies the narrative structure of biopics so closely that it ends up suffering a bit from the flaw that plagues even the best biopics. Any film that covers so many years in one person's life will end up seeming choppy and episodic at times. Talladega does the same as it sags somewhat during its midsection.
Still, the film features plenty of funny moments and a few laugh-out-loud ones. Ferrell is terrific, once again making us like a character who could come off as loathsome in the wrong hands. Another one of Ferrell's greatest strengths is his willingness to share the laughs with his co-stars. Anchorman got huge lifts from Steve Carell, Fred Willard, Paul Rudd, and Christina Applegate. Talladega Nights gets similar boosts from its supporting cast. Reilly, Cole, and Cohen get a lot of laughs (be sure and stay through the ending credits to watch some of Reilly's adlibs as to what he imagines Jesus would be like in person).
While people may overlook this because it is a comedy, director Adam McKay is actually a pretty talented director. Visually, the film is remarkably strong, especially by comedic standards. Ironically enough, the film's racing scenes are more exciting and impressive than those featured in 1990's "serious" racing film Days of Thunder. McKay's soundtrack choices are terrific as well, as I laughed out loud twice over McKay's song choices.
For fans of Ferrell, Talladega Nights is a must. Even if you didn't care for Anchorman too much, give it a shot.