In a Nutshell: The Campaign

2 out of 5 Lebowski's

To say that Will Ferrell is becoming the next Adam Sandler is a pretty bold statement. Even sad at the same time. Sandler has milked Hollywood at the expense of his fans for over 5 years now. He was a classic comedian, from Billy Madison all the way to Waterboy and Mr. Deeds. The Wedding Singer to me is my 2^nd favorite comedy of all time. What he’s done is become a joke inside of a joke. He has the same formula for every movie, and he keeps trying to become more diverse, giving himself accents and different looks, ie. The Longest Yard, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. And though those movie had their moments, he continues to put inside jokes that just flat out, don’t work in his movies. And they always have these epic endings, that you know have no chance of happening in real life, ie. Anger Management, David Spade playing good bball in Grown Ups.

Any who, this isn’t about Adam Sandler. This is about Will Ferrell. The Campaign is Will Ferrell playing George Bush again. And it just seems old. Ferrell is up to his usual antics. Cursing, sex crazed, belligerent even when not drinking. Once again, he’s doing his best George Bush impersonation, while having the attitude of Ricky Bobby, and that dude in Blades of Glory. And Frank the Tank. And Ron Burgundy. And Jackie Moon. Ferrell still has that punch though, the one that Sandler had for such a long time. They have both graced us with classics, and they will most definitely still make serious bucks in the box office, just because of the IQ of the people that will still stand in line to watch their movies (Unless it’s Anchorman 2, which I will stand in line for). It’s time for Ferrell to do what his real fans know he’s good at: Being an actor. If that means being in a comedy, that’s fine. Being in Stranger Than Fiction, I’d love that. But if he wants to salvage his career before it spirals out of control, he needs to become more like Jim Carrey and not like Sandler. Stop beating stupidity into our heads, you’re better than that. You’re Frank the Tank. You’re Chazz from Wedding Crashers. Do you really want to be known for these last few comedies you’ve made? You’re the funniest guy in Hollywood Will, and you just let Zach Galifianakissonston get a leg over you. Do you really want to be known for this crap movie, with a few diamonds in it? Or Semi-Pro which also had diamonds in it? 

To  explain the movie, you would think they had something solid here. And at times, YES, it works. But most of the time it falls flat. Galiafinakis brings fresh, hilarious stuff to Marty Huggins. The innocent Republican whose life isn’t as innocent as it seems. Especially not till the ultimate sinner in the dirty Democratic politician of Cam Brady shows up in his life, and towards the latter part of the movie, gets a heart. As Brady and Huggins fight for their seat in the Senate, it's entertaining at times to watch how much they can screw each other over, via campaign ads, which just seem too unrealistic. Or Debates, which could be funnier. And once again, sometimes, YES, it works. But the way I’m beating that "it works" into your head is the same way Ferrell tries beating that George Bush, balls to the wall lifestyle living into our heads, and it’s just not that funny anymore. Scenes with Marty’s wife and Cam Brady live up to the hype, and so does a funny turn into comedy from Dylan McDermott and the always reliable Jason Sudeikis as their campaign managers. Dan Akroyd and John Lithgow show up, and the whole time you wonder, why did they show up? You understand the point of it, but they just seem disinterested as much as we are in the movie. And does Brian Cox really want to do this? He seemed so at ease as a sleazeball in the Bourne movies, and Troy. The best part of the film is watching what Marty does after a face-off with Cam. It's not when they actually face-off. Galiafinakis really carries the movie on his back. You have to watch everytime he's on the screen. From his awkward encounters with his wife's tongue, to his dinner table discussions with his children. He's really funny. Wish I could say the same for Ferrell.

I love Will Ferrell by the way, which is why I'm so disappointed. The exact same way I loved Sandler before Little Nicky hit theatres.

In a Nutshell: Ferrell needs a new formula. Using Jay Roach to direct this film might’ve saved the day a few years ago, but he also just directed Dinner For Schmucks a few years ago. That’s not good, and showing he lost his touch a little.  The film has its moments, but falls flat most of the time. Maybe if Ferrell would’ve played Marty Huggins, and Zach played Cam Brady, this movie would’ve been hilarious instead of having its moments and just settling for being watchable.