Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

I generally love Will Ferrell film, but this one didn't really attract me. Sure it's heavily quotable like most of his films, but I feel those scenes are the only redeemable parts from this film. For the longest time because of this movie and Step Brothers it left a bad taste in my mouth for John C. Reilly until I was able to see some of his much better films. Sorry Ricky Bobby, if you're not first, you're last.

You're crazy if you don't love comedy movies or at least one of them but perhaps the most misunderstood sub section of comedy is satire. Satires are hard to execute, work and flow right, and bring to the big screen. Will Ferrell's acting and Adam McKay's directing just made the greatest satire movie ever. It fits the bill and hits the checklist in every category. It makes you laugh, the dialogue is extremely quotable, the scenes are memorable, and the stereotypes are just oh so perfect. NASCAR, which is arguably the most joked about sport in the world, was the perfect way to root a satire movie and this movie nailed it. Even a NASCAR fan myself, I couldn't stop laughing throughout most of the movie. You gotta watch it if you love funny stories or if you're a race fan.

This was an excellent parody of the world of NASCAR with their corporate sponsorships, endorsements, beer, and trophy wives. It also takes big blows at middle class Americans, homosexuals and has a heavy emphasis on The South. Though this is in the spirit of fun, the critiquing of beliefs is definitely shown, especially being completely irreverent and blasphemous towards religion specifically the Christian population of the United States. The acting was good for the most part, and I was especially expressed with the child actors in the film. The storyline seemed reminiscent of another Will Ferrell movie Elf, with his shaky mental state and "daddy issues." "With all due respect" it is somewhat cheesy, and some of the jokes get old like 'Shake and Bake' or are simply not funny like the scene with the long argument about crepes. It also seemed obvious even while watching all of the cutting in the film. This was definitely a negative, but overall the film was entertaining.

Will Ferrell and his growing rep company provide some of their biggest laughs ever in TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE LEGEND OF RICKY BOBBY, another of Ferrell's sports-oriented comedies that takes a popular American sport and turns it on its ears.Ferrell plays the title character, an arrogant and dim-witted stock car driver, whose winning philosophy was based on something his father said to him as a child, whose life is altered forever when he has a serious accident and after a lengthy rehab, tries to resume his life and learns that his best friend has moved in with his wife and kids, taken over his career, and has to depend on his long lost father to take his life back. Ferrell and Adam McKay have concocted one of the smartest and funniest screenplays in comedy history which takes effective pot shots at the stock car driving industry as well as the advertising industry as well. McKay's energized direction is also a big plus, but its Ferrell and his winning cast that really make this one shine.Ferrell is hysterical, as always, and gets solid comic support from the always reliable John C. Reilly as Cal Naughton, Ricky's best friend who finally takes advantage of his chance to move out of Ricky's shadow, Leslie Bibb as Ricky's gold-digging wife, David Keocher and Michael Clarke Duncan as members of Ricky's pit crew, Jane Lynch as Ricky's mom, and in a performance that comes as close as I have seen anyone to steal a movie from Will Ferrell, Gary Cole as Ricky's derelict Dad, whose training sessions to get Ricky back on the track are hysterical. Sasha Baron Cohen provides some giggles as well in a sexually androgynous variation of his BORAT character.The film provides solid laughs from beginning to end, especially for Ferrell fans. Check out this comic gem.