Will Ferrell in a new comedy film that isn't shit

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Yes, it happened.

It's a film called The Campaign which is out now. I went to see it yesterday without any expectations and was really pleasantly surprised. Ferrell is a great choice for the central character Cam Brady, an all American politician (so lying philandering slick fake christian).

The film tries to be funny and succeeds pretty much all the way through. Quite like Anchorman, the laughs give you a hand when the plot fails.

Just amazed to see him being quite funny.

[Noodle Lizard]

You are wrong, it was bad.

And Zach Galifianakis can fuck off too.  Two of the worst comedy actors ever, as far as I'm concerned.

[Uncle TechTip]

Oh well, if it's as good as Anchorman, then I know to run a hundred miles in the opposite direction before setting eyes on this motion picture. Thanks for the warning.

[Goldentony]

Anchorman is, and there's no exaggeration here, one of the finest American comedy films. Anyone who dislikes it in the slightest can, and there's no exaggeration here, get to fuck.

[Pepotamo1985]

Oh well, if it's as good as Anchorman, then I know to run a hundred miles in the opposite direction before setting eyes on this motion picture.

Oh, The Campaign is much, much worse than Anchorman could ever possibly be! This 'un makes Ron Burgundy's escapades look like Police Squad. I actually found a lot of the set pieces and 'jokes' quite so painfully unfunny that I legit squirmed at various points during it. Lowest common denominator scatalogical humour, terrifyingly bad acting from Galifianakis, terribly contrived gags and lots of pointless swearing. It's artless as fuck.

There were a couple of things that made me go 'ah' and 'heh', but nah, fuck this film. It's a shame, because the American political system - with its rampant cronyism, corporate influence on election outcomes and/or policy and charlatans etc. - is such utterly fecund satirical ground (possibly why tiny little gobbets of stuff in the film - with the campaign manager, primarily - are reasonably watchable) and has rarely been given the vicious skewering it deserves (although The Candidate, and Primary Colours, are pretty good I guess).

[Noodle Lizard]

Anchorman is, and there's no exaggeration here, one of the finest American comedy films. Anyone who dislikes it in the slightest can, and there's no exaggeration here, get to fuck.

Anchorman is just a Zucker bros film for jocks to quote at every ungiven opportunity.

[Goldentony]

What are you on about? Do you come across many jocks? How often do they cause a schism in your daily dealings at Bronson Alcott High School with another cry of "PANDA WATCH"

[KLG-7A]

Just a bunch of hunks.

[Noodle Lizard]

What are you on about? Do you come across many jocks? How often do they cause a schism in your daily dealings at Bronson Alcott High School with another cry of "PANDA WATCH"

I come across plenty of jocks[nb]in my erotic fantasies[/nb], especially when I was in an all-boys school at the time the film came out.

[Steven]

Won't argue he's been in some bad films, but he seems like a decent comic actor. His improv-ing here to make Black Jack Black laugh had me in veritable sutures.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykuTKwbRwF0

[Small Man Big Horse]

Step Brothers is a fantastic comedy (bar the initial 10 minutes which is oddly shit) and Ferrell is pretty decent in The Other Guys as well. Blades of Glory and Semi-Pro are certainly very watchable, whilst Megamind is one of the best non-Pixar animated movies of the last few years.

In short: He's made some shit, but some decent stuff as well, like, erm, most actors...

[NoSleep]

Can't remember any particular sketches (apart from the obvious 'More Cowbell') but I recall Will Ferrell being rather good (several times) in a SNL DVD compilation of  Christopher Walken appearances.

[Shoulders?-Stomach!]

Disliking Anchorman because people you don't like like it is dumb.

As far as this film goes, the overall quality isn't anywhere near that level, I was expressing my surprise that he's in a comedy film where it's possible to actually watch him being the character rather than FUNNY MAN WILL FERRELL.

Of course the jokes are crass and scatalogical- that's hardly a change from the usual style, and it works quite well juxtaposed with the political campaign which has to be clean cut and family friendly.

I actually thought it was a half-decent satire with well observed tropes that's well timed into the run-up of the election. It makes the observations without once seeming hectoring or didactic and relies on the humour to see it through.

Fairly clunky plot and a few shit bits but overall well worth a watch as it's regularly humourous and occasionally belly-laugh funny.

[phantom_power]

Ferrell is a great comic actor who has a tendency to be over-indulgent or lazily reliant on improvising. He was great on SNL and steals the show in Austin Powers, Zoolander and loads of other films.

Galliafanakis is similar. He can be hilarious in his awkward, tangetial manner in stuff like Between Two Ferns and Tim and Eric but this doesn't often translate into mainstream films. He is in danger of being a bit of a one-trick pony but that is as much down to his looks than anything

[Noodle Lizard]

I don't dislike Anchorman because certain types of people like it, I dislike it because I think it's a bad film which appeals to certain types of people I also dislike.  That being said, it is watchable (as in I can watch it and not tear my hair out).

I haven't seen much of Ferrell on SNL, but he's annoyed me to the point of teeth grinding in every film I've seen him in.  Yeah, he may steal the show occasionally simply by BEING THE LOUDEST AND SAYING LOUD THINGS LOUDLY WITH A FACE, but that doesn't make him a good comic actor or even a half-decent human being.  It's a similar criticism I'd give to Charlie Day, although I think he's generally far more talented, at least as a writer, and so can forgive his SHOUTING THINGS SHOUTILY.

Galifianakis is extremely irritating to me - perhaps more because of what screenwriters give him to work with, but this persona he's building up just ISN'T FUCKING FUNNY.  Just a fat bloke with a beard, replacing Jonah Hill and Seth Rogen that came before him, who have both moved on to become "mature actors and (fucking) directors".  Of course I didn't say all of that when he walked right past me the other day at Largo, and to be fair I can't blame him for making quick and big bucks and he's not really bragging about how good the films he makes are, AND his stand-up special is alrightish (compared to my expectations, anyway).

So yeah, I was destined to love The Campaign.

[astrozombie]

Shoulders?-Stomach! I usually agree with what you have to say but "The Campaign" was just a truck load of shit. Savagely unfunny and a huge wasted opportunity.

I am a fan of some Will Ferrell comedy films - I enjoyed "Anchorman", "Night at the Roxbury" and "Stepbrothers" and I am also a fan of Jay Roach as a comedy film director but this just didn't do it for me.