Laughed so hard my face hurt

Rating: 8/10 (12 August 2006)

I haven't laughed this hard in years. Seriously, tears streaming down my face many times in the first hour. Easily the funniest thing I've seen in theaters in a long time.
I'm not generally a fan of Will Ferrel and his brand of comedy, or that of Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, et al, so I was expecting a few chuckles in an extended SNL skit. I will say the last third of this movie drags a bit until the end.
The slow down was okay, as it gave me a chance to catch my breath. Just about everything before is brutally hilarious. An odd choice of words, but those kids! An eight may seem high to some, but Talladega Nights was better than I thought it would be. It has a strong group of actors playing their parts straight, a few good race crashes, and just plain funny writing.
Unlike most trailers, which often highlight the best the movie has to offer, "Help me, Tom Cruise!" is not the funniest part of this movie.