Predictable but fun

Rating: 7/10 (3 April 2007)

Competitive ice skating is an easy target for satire comedy, and the outlandish premise of this movie was inevitable. Although it's predicated on a joke that invites a sophomoric and slapstick approach, there are enough cleverly devised bits here to make it work.
Two guys join forces to compete as an unprecedented two-man team in pairs figure skating, and the resulting sight gags are usually pretty funny. Chazz Michaels (Will Farrell) is a beer chugging slob, and Jimmy MacElroy (John Heder) is a clean-cut pretty boy type. The collision of the two stereotypes bounce off each other pretty well, in an "Odd Couple on Ice" sort of way. One weakness is that Farrell occasionally overplays his part, while Heder understates his, and the two approaches don't always mesh. Another minor problem is the editing of the competition sequences; for example, you see very little of the rival couple's final routine. Supporting actors are uniformly strong, the best being Jenna Fischer as Katie, the girlfriend of one of the two skaters in a cute subplot. Cameo roles of well known champion skaters poking fun at themselves were a nice touch.
A screwball comedy that provides laughs throughout, with a few comic moments that are downright hilarious. It's good, silly popcorn fare, and worth a look.