Tricky 'Ricky'.

Rating: 7/10 (12 July 2008)

My Take: One of the most effective comedies in a long time.
Most comedians should owe much to Will Farrell, who may be the last best comedian at work in Hollywood to date. After charming me with ELF and then again in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY, Farrell returns in yet another highly-funny comedy that still proves that Farrell's definition of comedy is just the same as ours. Completely wacky jokes and public satire are surprisingly clever in TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOOBY. While it isn't exactly of all tastes (messy humor and crude language may turn off a considerable legion of audience), but it's adult comedy at best. This time, there really are laughs when they mean "adult humor".
Farrell plays boastful NASCAR driver Ricky Booby, who has it all, from sexy wife (Leslie Bibb), all the money and all the first-place wins he can possible loath. But after a turn in his career, Booby gets a taste of the simple life as a second banana to best friend Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) and embarrassed by a daredevil yet gay French racer (Sacha Baron Cohen). Stuck being a pizza boy living with his mom, Booby returns to the fast lane with a little "help" from his long-lost drunk daddy (Gary Cole).
It's racist, noisy and offensive to be sure. But it's also funny, clever and really winning at the same time. TALLADEGA NIGHTS isn't the best and most creative comedy to come out in Hollywood for many years, certainly not the best one out in the year. But with much funnier and more effective term for humor, it's a success all its own for what it is.
Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.