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Talladega Nights


I've always been a big fan of Will Ferrell's work. You have to admit the man's funny. I'm afraid, however, that Talladega Nights isn't going to be joining the ranks of his past successes. Not only was the movie a failure as a comedy, it also failed to keep me entertained. Every time the scene changed, I hoped the credits would roll. Sadly, they did not. One-hundred eight minutes is a long time to sit and wait for a movie to end--especially when you aren't enjoying yourself.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is about a North Carolina man with the I.Q. of a house plant who has a passion for driving fast. He is a star NASCAR driver and always comes in first place. Life is all about winning for Ricky Bobby, who, since he father told him when he was a child, believes that If you aren't first, you're last.
The movie makes extensive use of dumb comedy. All the attempts made to make the viewer laugh are done so through the use of stupid dialog between characters who are too idiotic to be believable. When characters speak, everything they say is stupidan obvious attempt at making the viewer laugh. For me, it didn't work. I was just plain annoyed.
The blatant advertising within the movie was also extremely annoying. How much money do films need to rake in that they must sell out to different restaurants and other companies? During prayer Ricky Bobby mentions Powerade as part of his sponsor agreement. About half-way through the movie the action literally cuts away to an Applebees commercial, that wasnt funny. It was annoying.
However, the movie did amuse me at a few different points. When I learned Ricky Bobbys childrens names were Walker and Texas Ranger, I couldnt help but chuckle. Unfortunately, these little glimpses of comedy in a turbulent sea of boredom were too few and far between to redeem this heaping pile of disappointment.
Please dont go see this movie. If you still want to see it despite my warnings, wait until it comes out on DVD and make your friend rent it for you.

Justin Schnurer
