Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Starring: Will Ferrell
Director: Adam McKay
Rated: PG-13
According to the opening scene of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Eleanor Rossevent once said, "America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed." Will Ferrell stars in as Ricky Bobby, the boy with two first names, and since the moment he was born he was all about goin' fast. His father Reese (Gary Cole, Office Space's Lumberg) abandoned him when he was young, but showed up at key moments in Ricky's childhood to tell him that if "ya ain't first, you're last." This credo inspired Ricky Bobby, who grew up to be a pit crew member on a failing NASCAR team, and caught a lucky break when he was given the opprotunity to "go fast." Ricky Bobby was an success on the track and instantly became one of the sport's greatest superstars. Ricky's childhood friend and fellow redneck, Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly, Gangs of New York and Magnolia), also quickly moved up the ranks and the two become the Dynamic Duo of motor sports.
But, as all good stories go, Ricky Bobby faces some tough personal challenges. A new anti-American open-wheel racing driver from France named Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen, Da Ali G Show) joins NASCAR and knocks Ricky Bobby out of his superstar status, Ricky's wife Carley (Leslie Bibb, Crossing Jordan) leaves him, and the car's owners cut him out of the driver's seat. Down on his luck with nowhere to go, Ricky returns to his mom (Jane Lynch, The 40-Year Old Virgin) and reconnects with his dad. Much like the way Ron Burgundry has to reconnect with his love of the news in Anchorman, Ricky Bobby must reconnect with his love of going fast through hilarious tests of endurance and willpower.
Directed by Adam McKay, this movie is very much laugh-out-loud funny, and many of the better scenes were improv bits much in the style of Anchorman. However this movie doesn't stack up to the pillars of Ferrell comedies that came before it, like Old School and Anchorman (which is also a McKay film). This is not to say that Talladega Nights is a bad film, but it's nowhere near great. However, if you're a fan of Ferrell at all, and even if you know nothing about stock car racing, there is enough in this movie to keep you entertained. Hot, nasty, badass entertained.
