Hit and miss

Rating: Null/10 (24 September 2006)

This movie is essentially a series of sketches and one-off jokes. Some work, some don't, but on the whole, this is likable, if instantly forgettable fun that will keep you entertained for a short while. Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, a man who has taken Nascar by storm with his win-or-bust approach to racing. As he makes his millions and wins plenty of races, a challenger appears in the form of Sacha Baren Cohen, playing a gay French driver from Formula One. The two then battle for supremacy etc etc. The plot isn't really important to be honest. Certain set piece scenes were very funny, such as the shocked reaction of the sports commentators on finding out the Frenchman bats for the other side! Somewhere in this film there's a message about how wonderful it is to love your family blah blah blah, but ignore that and just enjoy the jokes. I have to say I'd much prefer to see proper coverage of the real Nascar here in England, but in the absence of that, I'll watch pretty much anything to do with it.