Lancoor A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action
ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Pjtaylor-96-138044 'Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby (2006)' has a number of key problems that easily make it Adam McKay's worst effort. The first issue is that it's honestly pretty offensive, as it's genuinely quite homophobic, fairly sexist, a bit xenophobic and just generally seems to dislike the very people it should most clearly be aimed at. It finds some way of taking a low-blow at pretty much every conceivable group. These low-bows that don't seem satirical to the point that they would be mocking the very idea of their inclusion - which would be the only way they could actually work and, thus, be somewhat excusable. If these dodgy jokes were used as a way to shine a light on how ridiculous the specific attitudes they highlight are, the flick could've lampooned its closed-minded characters and also taken a stance that allowed it to examine why they think the way they do, before developing them so that they become more tolerant and the overall piece can take on an ultimately inclusive tone with at least a half-decent message. The film doesn't do that, though. Not even close. Perhaps the problems were unbeknownst to those behind the camera. The jokes might've just been haphazardly thrown in without any thought to their possibly harmful nature. This leads to, or is perhaps a product of, a careless and callous kind of comedy, one that does occasionally feel a tad mean-spirited. The second main issue is an incredibly poor, almost non-existent, structure that makes the entire movie feel more like a string of improvised jokes than a proper narrative. It is very difficult to become engaged with the 'plot' at any point because of this. The piece also feels incredibly long. Another big problem is the fact that the characters are all either too blatantly unlikable or straight-up stupid - usually a combination of the two - to care about at all. This means you can never be invested in anything that happens to any of them and that the weak 'redemption' arc feels even more unearned than it would've if it were just poorly done. The final flaw is that it isn't actually all that funny, either, giving me maybe two chuckles (and I do only mean short, one-breath chuckles) in its entirety. I will say that the more irreverent, light-hearted and good-natured jokes tend to be the ones that land. In its more absurdist moments, or even its more on-point satirical ones, there is some potential. I can't say that I particularly enjoyed the piece, though, and I certainly wasn't entertained. Also, that French accent is perhaps the worst I've ever heard. 5/10
MichaelMRamey 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.
ccman2 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.
rajatdahiyax When America's number one NASCAR speed-demon is issued a direct challenge from a gay, French Formula One racer with a hunger for the top spot and a mean talent for tight-cornering, the race is on to become the number one man in all of NASCAR in a full throttle comedy starring Will Ferrell and directed by Anchorman cohort Adam McKay. Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a national hero with a "smokin' hot" trophy wife, pair of borderline-abusively precocious sons, and an endless line of endorsement deals filling his mansion with toys and driveway with sports cars and Hummers. His racing partner and lifelong friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), never fails to provide him with a hand on the racetrack, frequently performing their trademark "slingshot" maneuver to shoot Ricky into first place, leaving Cal in second. While the public loves these buddies (popularly known by the meaningless childhood nicknames they find so exceedingly cool: "Shake and Bake"), a wedge comes between the two, as Ricky Bobby's longstanding winning-streak is broken by flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), robbing Ricky of everything in an instant as the trauma leaves him unable to drive. Ricky's wife takes his fortunes while Cal takes his wife, and now he's back with his mother (Jane Lynch) and long-estranged father (Gary Cole). Things look bad for Ricky, but his father was once a race car driver himself, and now with the help of a training montage, a live cougar, and the courage to drive without his gleaming white Wonder Bread endorsement, Ricky might be ready to face the track again.
