thePeanutBloggery

If Blades of Glory is sold out at all your local theaters this weekend, why not get your Will Ferrell fix by spending Friday Saturday night in with Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, the hilarious story of the rise and fall and inevitable comeback of the world’s greatest (fictional) Nascar driver Ricky Bobby (Ferrell).

Although the mannerisms, voice pitch and inflection may differ, many of Will Ferrell’s characters (Mugatu, Ron Burgundy, Chazz Reinhold, etc.) seem to share the same parents. They are egotistical, over-confident, dimwitted, and endearingly innocent. Like a can of Coke, you know exactly what you’re going to get, but when the craving hits, nothing else will satisfy, and Ricky Bobby will absolutely quench your thirst.

Still Ferrell alone doesn’t make a great comedy. Talladega Nights has an outrageous supporting cast that includes Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) as Ricky Bobby’s French adversary, Gary Cole (Office Space) as his deadbeat father, and, most notably, John C. Reilly (Chicago, Magnolia) as his devoted teammate and best friend. The subject matter may be speed, but the film itself is actually quite pokey. Director Adam McKay’s goal seems to be to draw out each moment as long as possible until it dissolves into the ridiculous, and it’s a pleasure to watch this gifted ensemble act like imbeciles.

Nascar is all about sponsorship, thus so is Talladega Nights. It’s surprising that brands like Wonder Bread, Perrier, and Old Spice are willing to associate themselves with such idiotic characters. Perhaps they subscribe to the notion that any publicity is good publicity. So go ahead and get a bottle of Powerade, some takeout from Applebee’s, and spend Friday Saturday night in with Ricky Bobby.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is available on Movies On Demand. Here’s a tip: choose the extended version and enjoy Michael Clarke Duncan as he reads from Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret.