A wholesome film but it won't rain any 12-points over it

Rating: 5/10 (27 June 2020)

"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" follows two Icelanders (probably not siblings) who dreams of entering the eponymous contest and as they do, personal problems risk tearing them apart. Featuring a more downplayed Will Ferrell with a comedic style lacking much of his trademark insanity, he and McAdams gives the film a surprising emotional weight with quite tender performances. Most Europeans will most certainly also enjoy the quite spot on depiction of what Eurovision is, a rather tacky but highly entertaining campy event, an aspect that Ferrell, an American, managed to pull off gracefully well. What this Eurovision odyssey would need to make the two hours it takes to watch it more worth the while is a few more dramatic turns, and perhaps daring jokes. This take on the pan-European music festival might satisfy hardcore ESC fans hunger for the festival slightly, but "The Story of Fire Saga" doesn't do much more than that.