In desperate need of a script!

Rating: 1/10 (6 August 2006)

I really looked forward to seeing this film. Will Ferrell, given the right material, is as versatile and funny as anyone out there. But in this case, the movie suffers from having no script. Countless scenes drone on and on without direction or purpose... and, worse, without being funny. Since much of the material is obviously improvised, one becomes uncomfortable watching the actors trying to make something happen, make the scene funny -- and that's exactly what you get: a patchwork of forced, protracted scenes that have no connection to the overall story.
With a number of notable exceptions, a film that is written or co-written by the director frequently suffers from having no one reign in the various elements of the story to keep it focused. Regrettably, that's the problem with "Talledega Nights". It's a fun concept and features some wonderful talent but, regrettably, director Adam McKay doesn't come close to doing anything with it.