Like the title role, "Ricky Bobby" is not the brightest, but sure has fun

Rating: 6/10 (26 December 2007)

Of the recent take over of Ferrell/Apatow produced comedy "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" is certainly not the most charming, but it's not completely devoid of fresh humor.
This time Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby, a redneck swept up in NASCAR fame. Bobby is not the most interesting character, but Ferrell demonstrates his diversity although the humor is mostly reminiscent of "Anchorman" or "Old School." To change things up a bit, however, Ferrell has added the talents of John C. Reilly (as Cal, Ricky's best friend) and character specialist Sacha Baren Cohen (as a French, homosexual rival driver). Even Gary Cole stars as Bobby's father. These actors bring some more interest and make for a nice change to the typical fare for these films.
In general, the plot is rather flat and uninteresting, with only enough comedic bits in between to keep interest. Unlike the aforementioned "Old School" or "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights" doesn't seem to move forward on the legs of its comedy but instead relies on it like a crutch. Some comic scenes will have you laugh out loud, but others will have you wishing the plot was better and just move on already. The beginning is also rushed and choppy, which for a two-hour film implies that there was some indecision on the part of writers Ferrell and Adam McKay as to how to best tell the story. Overall, it seems that their talents would best be served outside the realm of race car driving - not much humor is found in the races themselves, only the culture of NASCAR and so the NASCAR scenes simply bore.