2hrs3m of confusing Americans

Rating: 7/10 (3 July 2020)

Firstly, before I have even watched the film, I absolutely love the audacity of its existence. Literally no one asked for Eurovision 'The Movie', and yet what a strangely great premise for a story. I liked this even more upon learning that Will Ferrell himself is a big fan of the contest, and was a major hand in getting this film from paper to living room TV.
I feel that I should pre-empt this review by stating that I watch Eurovision religiously every year, and that the date is CLEARED from my diary as soon as I learn it. The film itself does a pretty good job at explaining why Eurovision is so popular - the whole thing is a caricature of itself, and I love that Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga continues this tradition. From the get-go, it knows exactly what it is and should be - cheesy, campy and over-the-top. Eurovision was wise in seeing its own indulgence and being able to self-deprecate for a large portion of the movie, which I fully commend. Being directed by David Dobkin, who appears to have directed mainly music videos, was probably a good choice for these reasons. Also, the fact that the film has a subtitle makes me think...is this the start of a saga?! Forget the MCU, from now on I'm attending midnight screenings of the ECU...
After Holmes & Watson (2018), things could really only go up for Will Ferrell, and this film has its fair share of welcome Ferrell-esque slapstick and humour. As with his other films, some of the quips fall flat and some tickle you for hours after the credits have rolled - it's always a mixed bag. Unfortunately, Eurovision had a few more duff notes than you would usually find, but thankfully the film moves on quickly enough to forget about it, unlike films by a certain Sandler that often crack a joke and leaves silence after it as if it's a comedy set, but even the tumbleweed doesn't feel like interrupting.
I digress.
If you're a fan of the annual contest, the inclusion of a few familiar faces is a nice touch. The effort gone into the production is truly commendable - I'm told that a full song was written and performed for every country that would usually compete in Eurovision. The ironic thing is that pretty much every song heard could quite easily pass as a winner of the contest. The 'song-along' (essentially glorified music video/karaoke) about halfway into the runtime was a fun little showcase, however did feel a little shoehorned in for the sake of a single to release with the film. Upon checking Spotify after, my hypothesis was confirmed. This could have been done better and be less incongruous with the pacing.
The, for lack of a better word, 'villain' was a little bit of a concerning choice for me. Of all of the European countries to choose from for a 'bad guy', they decided to go for... yep, you guessed it! Russia. It really is a lazy film trope in 2020, made even more of a bizarre choice when the 'booing' incidents of Eurovision 2014 and 2015 are still fresh in the minds of many. Casting a person from the UK as the villain might have been a funnier choice and a little more tongue-in-cheek as, and I quote the film itself, "everyone hates the UK".
I was told by a friend before watching this film that if I like Blades of Glory (2007), I'll enjoy Eurovision 'The Movie'. Perhaps this kept the memory of Chazz Michael Michaels fresh in my mind, but I couldn't help noticing the almost uncanny similarities between the two films throughout my viewing. For starters, both films feature Will Ferrell with long hair and a big personality, and not to mention explore the subject of underdogs in a big competition. However, even the smaller plot beats match scene by scene - one conversation that includes characters that may or may not have had sex with each other for the sake of sabotaging a rival duo could have been stripped word-for-word from Jimmy MacElroy for all I know. Yes, if it ain't broke then don't fix it - but also try not to create a carbon copy that ends up being inferior to the original!
Wow. I've really written all this on a movie in which Graham Norton stars as himself. Regardless, everyone needs a feelgood movie from time to time, and truth be told, this movie made me smile a lot in a time when doing so is quite a rarity - and there's nothing wrong with that, right?
Very much enjoyable Ferrell-style-flick. 7 stars.
EDIT: It's the day after I've watched the film and I have listened to nothing but the soundtrack, so they must have done something right in that department. It's definitely filled my Eurovision-shaped hole in 2020.