“The Campaign” may not be the funniest film of the year but it’s sure to tickle your funny bones a few times. Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis are a pretty strong comedy duo and do a great job of playing off one another, so if you’re looking for something funny to kill some time, “The Campaign” deserves your vote.
It’s fall, the birds are chirping, the air is cool, the campaign videos are running rampant and Cam Brady is about to seize his fifth term as North Carolina’s congressman, unless Marty Huggins has his way. He uses his down home quirky charm to turn Brady’s world upside down and when these two candidates go at it the gloves come off and more than mud is thrown around.
If you’re a fan of Will Ferrell playing loud, ignorant and obtrusive guys who apparently have all of the women fawning over him then this is the movie for you. Will Ferrell does well enough as Cam Brady and he isn’t as abrasive as some of his past characters, but it’s Galifianakis that really shines. His Marty Higgins is hilarious and it’s hard to believe that anyone can be that naive. While not all moments hit home, they still made plenty of base hits. It was the supporting cast that really helped keep this movie alive. Dylan McDermott seemed to have a lot of fun as Huggins’ campaign manager. I think one of my favorite moments was when Huggins asks his family to spill all of their dirty secrets and he definitely doesn’t like the answers he gets.
The part that kept this movie from being much better came down to not only the tiresome writing but the overabundance of profanity and toilet humor. Don’t get me wrong, when I watch a Will Ferrell movie I know what I’m in store for but there were too many moments that were profane for the sake of being profane. I also think that the story never becomes quite cohesive enough, even for a Ferrell movie. I wanted to see more about the campaign trail but there just wasn’t as much focus as I was expecting.
Overall “The Campaign” is a fun escape and while ultimately forgettable it’s still worth putting a smile on your face.
The Blu ray includes an unrated version that adds on ten more minutes to the run time, hilarious deleted scenes and a fun gag reel.
Film: 3 Yaps
Features: 3 yaps