"I'm Going Fast Again!" Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell)

Rating: 7/10 (4 March 2007)

"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" (2006)
Directed By: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, John C. Reilly, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Leslie Bibb, David Koechner, & Amy Adams
MPAA Rating: "Unrated" (for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence)
***PLEASE NOTE: This Is A Review Of The "Unrated" Version Of The Movie***
When "Napoleon Dynamite" first came out, I thought it was very funny movie that worked very well due its quirky comments and bitter humor. It was a creative, original comedy. Then, suddenly, everyone and their cousin began to quote lines from the movie. I can't tell you how many times I heard "I told you! I spent it with my uncle in Alaska hunting wolverines!" The movie came out in 2004 and I have just now gotten where I can watch it again and find it to be humorous. When a movie is repeated over and over again, eventually, it gets old. I expected the same thing with "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby"but I got a bit of a surprise. Instead of my friends repeating quotes from the movie over and over, it was Will Ferrell who played against his own movie. He constantly appeared in public in character, making appearances in various award shows and interviews. By the time I finally saw the movie, Ricky Bobby had gotten old. It would take a very good movie to entertain me after I had gotten so bored with the character and, fortunately, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" was good enough to provide a fun time. Had Will Ferrell let the movie speak for itself instead of pushing his character in our face almost constantly, "Talladega Nights" would have probably been one of the best comedies of the year.
Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) has only had one goal his entire life and that is to go fastvery fast. As a member of the pit crew for a professional racer, Ricky finally gets the chance he has always been waiting for when the racer decides that lunch is more important than racing. Ricky gets to take over the wheel of the car and, when things go very well, Ricky becomes a pro racer. But when a gay French racer named Jean Girard (Cohen) makes his way up the ladder and challenges Ricky, Ricky's talent is put to the ultimate test. At the same time, Ricky's best friend, Cal Naughton Jr. begins a relationship with Ricky's wife, Carley Bobby (Bibb) and Ricky's deadbeat father, Reese (Cole), comes back into his life.
Will Ferrell is one of the funniest men working today and has always had a history of crafting interesting and colorful characters, from Ron Burgundy to Buddy the Elf. Ricky Bobby is his latest creations and one of his funniest. He does a great job with the role, but, as I said, he overworked it outside of the movie. As he stated in song at the Academy Awards, John C. Reilly has been able to make a transition between stark dramas and wild comedies. Reilly is a very talented man and gives a more subdued performance here. He was still over-the-top, but he managed to calm Ferrell's performance down a little. Had he not been present, I think the movie would have been a little grating. Sacha Baron Cohen exploded in 2006, mostly due to bringing his character of Borat to the big screen. However, he also gives a very funny performance here. He is just a very versatile actor.
"Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" was shoved in our faces from the time production ended and, frankly, I was tired of it before I even saw the movie. But, judging a movie by its promotion is not fair and, as a reviewer, I won't do it. But, I will still hold the people responsible accountable. Do not overplay your own movie. Don't push it at the audience every time you get an audience. It hurts the movie. However, the movie does hurt itself. The characters, especially Ricky Bobby and his wife, become increasingly annoying as the movie progresses. I was shocked at just how unlikable they got. The romance between Ricky Bobby and Susan (Adams) feels a little rushed and just didn't do enough to seem realistic. But, overall, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" works well enough at being a surprisingly funny and easy watch. Will Ferrell proves yet again that he is hilarious and Sacha Baron Cohen shows that he is not a one hit wander. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie when I judged it based on itself, though I wish that Ferrell had calmed down a little with the promotion.
Final Thought: "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" is a funny movie that has a colorful cast of characters.
Overall Rating: 7/10 (B+)