car tuned

Rating: 7/10 (16 September 2008)

Having collaborated on "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy", director Adam McKay and star Will Ferrell teamed up again for the goofy but harmless "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby". This one casts Ferrell as the NASCAR-driving titular character. Pretty much the whole movie makes fun of the stereotypes associated with that world. This subculture of rednecks with diets consisting of fast food...they really get into NASCAR! Something like 200,000 people show up for a game. And of course, in the eyes of the red-state crowd, what could be worse than a gay Frenchman (Sacha Baron Cohen, aka Borat) participating in the sport? All in all, a pretty fun romp. Given the common portrayals of rednecks in popular media, I get the feeling that they always have a good time with everything. Worth seeing.
Also starring John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan (John Coffey in "The Green Mile"), Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, David Koechner, Pat Hingle, Andy Richter, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Rob Riggle (of "The Daily Show").