Ricky Bobby delivers the laughs with more efficiency and speed than Anchorman

Rating: 8/10 (17 August 2006)

Is stupid always a bad thing? Not really. Just look at some movies like Billy Madison and Dumb and Dumber. By normal standards, those movies would be horrible, but they manage to be funny enough to become must-haves. Then there are the clever stupid movies, like Airplane and The Naked Gun, which are actually recognized by bigwig critics as classics. However, stupid usually is a bad thing. Plenty of dumb movies fall short, relying on terrible sight gags and offensive material to try to squeeze out a laugh. One of the more recent entries into the category of bad stupid movie is Anchorman, which surprisingly many critics liked. Well, I pretty much hated Anchorman, with Steve Carell being the saving grace. So, despite my misgivings for Anchorman, I went ahead and saw it's spiritual sequel, Talladega Nights. While it does have it's fair share of dead moments, Talladega is a much better movie than it's predecessor and guaranteed to be at least good for a laugh.
The plot of Talladega is much like you would expect from a movie co-written by Will Ferrell. It's simple and stupid, but does have some foundation. In fact, this movie actually does have a plot that is passable. It follows the life of Ricky Bobby (Ferrell), a pit crew member who gets to fill the shoes of his team's racer after he quits midrace. After catching up spectacularly and placing third, he is noticed by many corporate sponsors and becomes the NASCAR champ overnight. He marries racing bimbo Carley (Bibb), manages to get his best friend Cal (Reilly) as his sidekick driver and makes millions upon millions of dollars. After his career has hit a peak, he is challenged by French Formula One champion Jean Girard (Cohen) and ends up in a horrible wreck during the race which leaves him traumatized and afraid of speed. The rest of the movie is basically about the downward spiral his life runs and how his estranged father (Cole) returns to give Ricky his balls back.
Like Ron Burgundy in Anchorman, Ricky Bobby is a completely self-obsessed asshole who allows his kids to threaten the elderly and takes his friendship with Cal for granted. Unlike Burgundy, Ricky actually has a turning point, and that alone makes Talladega a better movie. While in Anchorman, Burgundy was always a total dick, Ricky Bobby actually manages to garner some sympathy, even if he is a little stupid, which actually gives the plot some substance, albeit very little. In short, it makes the movie easier to watch for those who appreciate something to string together the laughs.
Oh, and the laughs are plenty. While there are definitely some bits that flounder, such as basically any scene with Girard, there are plenty of chuckles and a solid amount of big laughs. The movie is definitely at its best when things are hectic, such as when Ricky stabs himself in the leg and his crew chief (Duncan) tries to use another knife to pry it out or the incredible sequence where Ricky re-trains with his father. The conversations in the movie are also so outlandish that they are hilarious, most notably one conversation debating whether or not to pray to Baby Jesus or the grown up one with a beard. There may not be something for everyone, but if you laughed at any time during the trailers, you're bound to find something enjoyable in Talladega.
The ensemble cast in the movie is pretty amazing. Will Ferrell is, as always, a lovable dumbass. No one can do blind panic humour like Will Ferrell, nor can anyone be so believably dumb. The supporting cast is full of Oscar-calibre actors such as John C. Reilly, Amy Adams and Michael Clarke Duncan, as well as comedy standbys Molly Shannon, Gary Cole and Sacha Baron Cohen (better known as Ali G). Reilly is easily the standout from the supporting cast, stealing every scene he is in as Ferrell's even dumber sidekick. Gary Cole also turns in a hilarious performance as Ferrell's estranged father, especially during the training scenes. Duncan is also great, but he doesn't seem to have enough material to work with (though he does have one of the better outtakes at the end of the film). The only disappointment is Cohen as Girard. Sure, Cohen is game and plays the part well, but his scenes get a little dull and repetitive after a while.
As a side note, this movie is easily the most advertisement raped movie since The Island, and possibly even moreso. Granted, the film uses the ads as comedy for the most part, such as how Ricky Bobby is contractually obligated to mention PowerAde at each meal's grace, but it does seem excessive. At one point, a commercial for Applebee's is played in the middle of a crash sequence. Since it is NASCAR, most of it is making fun of the blatant advertising present (especially in one sequence where Ricky stars in a slew of commercials, the best being "If you don't chew Big Red then f*** you!"), it still is a little too much.
All that Ricky Bobby ever wanted to do was to go fast. Well, this movie is definitely fast with delivery of gags that are much more hit than miss. Sure, the movie isn't without it's problems, but it is funny enough to make up for any missteps it takes, with a great cast to back it up. If you liked Anchorman, then you'll love Talladega. If you didn't like Anchorman, still give this one a shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.
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