Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) User Reviews

The spiritual prequel to Step Brothers and Holmes and Watson

[kingofdanerds · 8/10 · 12 March 2021]

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is rather significant. Why? Because it is the first team up of Will Farrell and John C. Reily on the big screen. Released in 2006, Talladega Nights was released at a great time. Back when Will Farrell was at his height in the film industry and back when NASCAR was pretty popular. It only seemed that a movie should be made in hopes of making lots of money. And it did. Talladega Nights had a budget of $72.5 million and made back over double that amount. For the longest time I thought that Step Brothers was the better team up but since my opinion has slightly changed over that film alone, will Talladega Nights see a change in opinion?

Ricky Bobby has lived his whole life by the motto of "If you ain't first, you're last". Ricky Bobby is also a NASCAR driver and possibly the best there is. When a new race driver named Jean Girard comes to race, it seems that Ricky has met his match. A wreck occurs and Ricky is thought to be done with racing, but the Talladega race is coming around the corner, and Ricky wants to race. But most importantly, win.....

Again, for the longest time, I always saw Step Brothers as the better Reily and Ferrell film. But that has changed. I am not saying that this is leaps and bounds better than Step Brothers. I like Step Brothers and I like this film. But this film is not really a piece of art. The acting is fine. The actors feel right in their respective roles and to a point that I honestly forgot that Will Ferrell does not have a southern accent. Oscar worthy? No, considering the tough competition and what not, but still good. The characters themselves are fine too. They mostly follow the typical sterotypes which is something that some people say made NASCAR look bad. But, they all have chemistry and are loads of fun to watch. Especially Reily and Ferrell which is great that they did Step Brothers together. The story is considerably better in this film than Step Brothers as it is more complex and has an actual plot and what not. The comedy is good. Whereas Step Brothers took the really potty mouth approach, Talladega Nights is not quite as potty mouth with it's humor. Again, it is that dumb smart humor which actually works best in this film. Almost because it is a sort of satire in a way. I found myself laughing more than in Step Brothers which was the big deal about me changing my mind about how this film compares to Step Brothers. Not nearly as quotable as Step Brothers, but just the scenes by themselves are memorable.

Talladega Nights is a funny film. Some prefer Step Brothers over this film which is fine. If you are a fan of Will Ferrell and/or racing, this film should entertain you.

"I wanna go fast!"

[ryan_kuhn · 7/10 · 4 August 2006]

When looking at the merits of a movie and decide whether it is good or not, one must think of the goal of the picture. Is it a serious film, designed to comment on society, or is the movie's job to merely entertain? I think we all know the answer to this one when it comes to Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. This movie's goal is to entertain the audience, make them laugh, make them spend an hour and a half rejoicing in talented comedians doing their job well. And this movie reached its goal. Not only is this movie an above-average sports movie (it even concludes with a big race and a warm and fuzzy winner!), but is also a very funny movie. All I had to do was listen to the reaction of the sold out theater I was in and I knew that most people will find this movie to be very funny. Will Ferrell is Ricky Bobby, a NASCAR driver who makes up one half of "Shake and Bake," with John C. Reilly's Cal Naughton, Jr. being the "Bake" half of the duo. They are childhood friends who have now become teammates on the top NASCAR level, where Cal sets up the play that lets Ricky win almost every race--that is, unless Ricky has already crashed out of it. Talladega Nights follows the same story arc that Days of Thunder did, but is far more entertaining, as Ferrell and Reilly work together to bring humor to all parts of the racer's lives, including a bizarre dinner ritual that includes corporate sponsorship. Sure, the movie slows down for about 20 minutes in the middle to develop plot, but that may have been designed to give us, the audience, a break, allowing us to get ready for the final scenes of the movie. Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Ali G, Borat) plays the French Formula 1 driver who threatens to oust Ricky Bobby as the best driver on the track, perhaps the funniest overall character in the movie. There is not one scene with Cohen in it that isn't funny. After watching this movie, it is clear why Will Ferrell takes his comedies so seriously (watch the extras on the Elf DVD to see Ferrell between scenes, he's not always "on" playing the clown on set)--he gets the results he's looking for. This movie is laugh-out-loud funny pretty much from start to finish, and seeing Gary Cole return to comedy as Ricky Bobby's father will bring back memories of Office Space for a moment, then this new character will win you over.

Dumb but entertaining racing comedy

[mstomaso · 6/10 · 7 January 2007]

In Talladega Nights, Will Farrell and Jon C. Reilly head a nicely assembled cast (without a lot of star power) in a story about a fool who happens to be a race car driver and who has based his entire life philosophy around a phrase uttered by his alcoholic father during a drunk - "If you ain't first, you're last". Ricky Bobby rides high in his largely unexamined life until, predictably, he eventually crashes hard when confronted with a gay French intellectual who just might be a better driver than he is, and a boss who does not appreciate his arrogance.

Talladega Nights uses a narrative and editing style reminiscent of the brilliant Deathrace 2000 to create an entirely different effect - unlike Deathrace 2000's intellectually challenging political and social commentary, Talladega Nights is a simple absurdist comedy played out by several stereotypes in the contemporary racing entertainment industry. The film is successful largely because of it's careful plotting and occasional substitution of slap-stick for (dumb) dialogue driven comedy. The script is nothing special, but was probably well edited in the final construction of the film in order to emphasize its occasional moments of brilliance. If you go into this without much in the way of expectations, you just might enjoy it.

Hits a few bumps from time to time, but in the main it's pretty funny

[jimbo-53-186511 · 7/10 · 10 February 2016]

Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) and Cal Naughton Junior (John C Reilly) are life long friends and teammates on the NASCAR circuit. They are both the best drivers on the circuit and regularly finish first and second - this is down to their Shake and Bake method that they employ in order to take out the lead racer. Cal selflessly allows Ricky to win every time meaning that Ricky is dubbed the hero and is the one that hogs the limelight. However, their reign at the top is threatened by the arrival of ace French driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen).

Adam McKay has dabbled in satire previously with the original Anchorman film and its more recent sequel. These films were mostly successful in this respect as well as being reasonably funny. For me, McKay has been less successful when he's dabbled in other genres - his buddy cop film The Other Guys was beyond awful. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is McKay's satirical look at the sport of speedway which thankfully does work fairly well...

For me, Will Ferrell is a frustrating actor as I find that he can either be really irritating or fairly amusing. His performance very much depends on the material that he's given and the director that he works with. McKay seemed to allow Ferrell to be more natural in both Anchorman and Talladega Nights resulting in Ferrell being allowed to be funny and sort of endearing rather than being outright annoying likes he's been in other films. Sacha Baron Cohen is also excellent here in what can be described as fairly comfortable territory for him - he's essentially playing another quirky character with a ridiculous accent and most importantly entertains the audience whilst doing it. Baron Cohen plays a gay character here, but actually manages to make his character funny without being nauseating or over-the top (like he was in Bruno). Leslie Bibb plays the stock clichéd empty-headed shallow trophy-wife in such an over-the-top way that she's actually quite fun to watch. McKay's characterisation here is spot on and what they lack in depth they do make up for by just being fun to watch.

McKay takes some risks here by casting a character that's gay and actually making fun of the character for being gay but I found many of the jokes to be relatively inoffensive and many jokes here lean to being more suggestive or being used by way of double-entendre (which are arguably smarter ways to gain laughs). Ricky's foul-mouthed kids do grate a bit from time to time, but McKay does address this issue when the kids met their grandmother and she gives them some much needed discipline.

The film does lose some momentum in the second half when things start to fall apart for Ricky and we see him trying to re-build some of the remnants of his shattered life and career, but thankfully there are still plenty of amusing scenes (his dad coaching him and his scenes as a pizza delivery guy were funny and still helped to keep things moving).

All in all, Talladega nights may not keep the laughs consistently coming and at close to two hours it is a little on the long side, but despite the generous running time the film still moved along relatively smoothly and I still found plenty to enjoy here.

Incredible comedy

[masonsaul · 9/10 · 23 April 2020]

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Rikcy Bobby is an incredible comedy that's gleefully stupid whilst also cleverly mocking the tropes and conventions of racing dramas. Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly are both incredible and have fantastic chemistry. Sacha Baron Cohen, Jane Lynch, Gary Cole and Michael Clarke Duncan are all great. It's consistently extremely funny even if a few jokes don't land. It's also well paced and Adam McKay's direction is excellent. Both the music by Alex Wurman and the soundtrack are really good.

Great Lampoon of NASCAR- Best Comedy of 2006

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 13 August 2006]

This movie does something that is rarely done successfully done, pokes fun at the modern NASCAR circuit. Without detailing all the gags, this is pure fun which doesn't offend the tastes too often. Will Farrell is patently absurd as Ricky Bobby & the support he receives in this film from the entire cast is excellent. Gary Cole is very solid as Ricky's dad, & so is Jane Lynch as his mom. Amy Adams is solid too. In fact, the entire cast including John C. Reilly seems to have been fit into their roles like gloves.

Sasha Cohen comes off better in this as Ricky Bobbys French nemesis than he does in even Borat. He is used perfectly & fits his role really well. The story line works really well as the evolution from speed too shake & bake too magic man & me helps keep the film focused on something besides the jokes. There is just enough plot to hang the jokes on.

The script is lots of fun with references to lots of things besides NASCAR & Sex (which is all too often the only thing done as comedy today). This film proves that outrageous is much better than sex when done right as comedy. Thank goodness this is much better than the ill conceived BETWITCHED Farrell did in 2005. This film is really an excellent showcase for everyone involved. If your a NASCAR fan, you should even get some extra fun out of this one.

Get ready for the checkered flag Ricky Booby, this film is a winner all the way.

Spoof Of Southern Lifestyle And Conservatism

[fwomp · 6/10 · 15 December 2006]

Trying to review and rate a movie like this is tougher than most might think. There are those Will Ferrell fans out there that'll eat up TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOBBY. Then there are those that'll snub it as another foolish not-ready-for-prime-time-style spoof designed to engage our dumbed-down society. But there is a third reason someone might enjoy this rather ridiculous film.

Hopefully there are those movie goers out there that enjoy watching parodies of various lifestyles, and this is where Talladega Nights gets most of — if not all of — its comedic punch. That we witness a southern Nascar driver with all of his conservative leanings hanging out for everyone to see was absolutely hysterical. Ricky Bobby's (Will Ferrell) big house, multiple gas guzzling cars (Hummers, etc.), a wife who's gauged on breast quality, and two kids named after a horrible action series ("These are my kids, Walker and Texas Ranger") are all over-exaggerations on conservative values; you wouldn't dare see one of them driving a hybrid car, for instance.

The entrance of a homosexual Frenchman named Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen, Borat) adds an additional element in the American prejudice category, Ricky Bobby bashing Girard's foreign heritage while making a fool of Americans' naiveté ("America gave the world Chinese food!") The challenge of Ricky Bobby to overcome his fear of driving after a horrendous crash is only minimalist humor added to the film. It is, at its core, a spoof on modern southern lifestyle and conservatism, and that is what makes the movie work.

Will Ferrell at his best.

[manwithavanpro · 20 November 2007]

Will Ferrell at his best.

Seriously… Here, Ferrell plays a good ole country boy with rocks for brains and only one worry in the world and that's winning. Sound like a familiar past TV character of his? Ferrell is also a Writer on this film with Director Adam McKay, who together have made a solid comedy team since those SNL days, including 2004's "Anchor Man." But standing just as tall in this picture is the surprising man-about-town, Mr. Sasha Cohen (Borat, Ali G, Bruno) as Ricky Bobby's French nemesis, Jean Girard. This guy is such a great character actor it was difficult to even spot him at first. But who else would be brave enough to kiss Ferrell on the lips?

www.manwithavan.blogspot.com

Depends on what you find funny.

[musicalphan1216 · 7/10 · 22 December 2006]

"Talladega Nights" is not unbearable to sit through, in fact it has multiple moments that are quite entertaining. Essentially, comedy is in the eye of the beholder, and I found this film's comedic potential often overshadowed by VERY PG-13 subject matter. However, one can expect no less from those who also brought us "Anchorman."

I'm quite a fan of Will Ferrell, he being the only reason I saw this film. I know nothing whatsoever about NASCAR. I enjoy his trademark comedic styling to an extent, but I prefer to see him in roles that truly challenge him, such as his minor role in Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" and more recently "Stranger Than Fiction." The role of Ricky Bobby is nothing we haven't seen him do before, but he does do it well. Ferrell is a talented comedian, and all his trademarks are in Talladega,including near nudity, as seen on the trailer.

Whether or not you like this film depends on what you personally find funny. I don't enjoy 10 year old boys with 4 letter vocabularies and I don't enjoy constant references to manhood, if you get my drift. However, I enjoy silliness when it is done in good taste, and "Talladega" has some of those moments too. As stated before, this film is most comparable to "Anchorman." If you saw the Legend of Ron Burgundy, the Ballad of Ricky Bobby is essentially the same in terms of humor.

I enjoyed this film because it's Ferrell, and he can always deliver. It's good for a laugh and most viewers probably wont be sorely disappointed.

Funny

[Brandonpolash · 7/10 · 28 February 2020]

Even if your not a racing fan or a Nascar fan you still have to watch this. Typical Will Ferrell does not let us down. And being paired up with Jon C. Riley makes him even better. I can guarantee that there were many ad-lib scenes. Basically this is about Ricky Booby a Nascar driver who is very good at his sport. But when a Formula 1 driver enters Nascar he does everything he can to beat Ricky. When the battle begins there are so many laughs you will not stop. Inappropriate for young teenagers but great for adults.

The Matador and the Blind Shoemaker

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 6 August 2006]

Greetings again from the darkness. The three headed creative team of Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Judd Apatow obviously work very well together. Although "T-Nights" is not quite at the level of "Anchorman" or "The 40 Year Old Virgin", it comes from the same gene pool and features some hilarious moments and great lines.

Once again, Will Ferrell is the centerpiece of this one trick pony. Ferrell's best comedic traits are that we constantly expect him to say something funny and, even more importantly, he can deliver a straight line in a manner that causes laughter.

Fans of the above mentioned movie will recognize most of the faces in the supporting cast. Receiving the most screen time are John C. Reilly as Ricky Bobby's life long Shake and Bake buddy, and Sacha Baron Cohen (Ali G) as the nemesis gay French driver who pretty much drives Ricky Bobby over the proverbial edge. Also in the cast are Gary Cole (as Ricky Bobby's long lost Dad, who is NEVER without a beer), Jane Lynch (as Ricky's mom), Michael Clarke Duncan (as the crew chief), David Koechner (crew member) and Molly Shannon (as the sloshed car team owner's wife). Don't miss the nice performance from an almost unrecognizable Amy Adams (so wonderful in "Junebug") as one of Ricky Bobby's biggest supporters and his final love interest.

The film basically delivers what it promises. A bunch of laughs and no real story to speak of. You do have to kind of like a film with a soundtrack that features both Roger Miller and AC/DC ... not to mention a french version of the Rolling Stones!! As always, stay for the closing credits for an extra chuckle or two.

Just... Another Will Ferrell Movie.

[h_a_taylor · 7/10 · 4 August 2006]

I just got back from this movie. And it was... okay. Some of it was funny. Some of it wasn't. Some of it was clever. Some of it was predictable. In other words, if you're planning to see this movie, you already probably qualify as a Ferrell Fan, or something like that. Which means you'll think it's pretty funny. Not grade-A, top-quality, Steve Martin funny. More like a lot of "hurting for laughs," slapstick humor kind of funny. And as with most Will Ferrell movies, it's awkward at first, but will probably get better with each successive watching. So go ahead, see it. Or not. Because it will be on DVD eventually, and besides, all your friends will quote it months and months from now.

Sharp & Stupid

[tonyleonardo · 9/10 · 3 August 2006]

It's a pretty funny movie. You could tell Will Ferrell and Sacha Cohen (aka Ali G) and John C. Reilly all had the opportunity to improvise lines and riff on one another, and all three were pretty good.

Ricky Bobby's kids were given some choice lines and nailed home some great (albeit loud and aggro) deliveries. Amy Adams is totally hot. The dad role was well-played. The car action was money and you couldn't quite tell when it was CG and when it was recreated action, so that was good. They did it right.

The overabundance of seeded advertising was acknowledged in the film's dialogue and concretely addressed at the end of the movie (when Ricky Bobby goes sponsorless0 but it was still kind of annoying. I just can't understand how Hollywood blockbusters need more money. They could do the same movie without the extra $$ I think, but in this particular movie, set as it is with NASCAR, it certainly fits in the world we see on screen if there is rampant, colorful advertising.

So it's a good movie, a lot of gut laughs, and not unlike Dodgeball or Anchorman or the like...

Talladega Nights The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: Meh, it was okay

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 26 March 2019]

Talladega Nights is one of those movies I was rather shocked I hadn't seen, it was high profile, I don't mind Ferrell's work and you see it referenced all time yet it's taken me this long to get around to it.

I expected generic Hollywood drivel and it is, but thanks to some decent writing (In places) I'd say it's an above par effort (Just).

With a vast who's who cast and co-written by Ferrell himself this tells the story of Nascar driver Ricky Bobby as he reaches the pinnacle of the industry only to lose it all when a rival turns up and takes his spot.

With Greg Germann playing the same character he always does, namely the really easy to hate villainous type and Sacha Baron Cohen whom I simply cannot abide for some reason. Regarding him I have to say I admire his work and him as a human being, I just can't stand him in anything I've seen thus far!

The film adopts all the usual tropes you'd expect and is hugely paint by numbers, it's incredible cast feel rather wasted though it was really nice to see Gary Cole as it always is.

Some of the writing caught me off guard with how good it was, sadly that only happened 3-4 times and the rest is really generic stuff.

If you like standard Hollywood comedy you can do worse, if you want something you haven't seen a hundred times before then hop, skip and jump over it.

The Good:

Gary Cole

Some surprisingly good humor

Some great songs on the soundtrack

The Bad:

Sacha Baron Cohen

Usual formula

The End Of The World

[Puritan77 · 1/10 · 6 January 2007]

This movie is a perfect example of how the end of the world is near. I would rather stare at tree bark for 2 hours than to ever watch this worthless movie ever again. I can't believe how many people actually found this movie decent let alone label Will Ferrell a genius. Come to think of it, I don't think he's ever made me laugh. "HELP ME BABY Jesus!" <-- That's funny how? His acting is terrible and he acts like an idiot and other people love it. Brace yourself when you watch this movie, because you will think of all the other older funny movies that you love so much that will never be made ever again because crap like this keeps emerging to idiots all over the planet. It just goes to show you don't have to be talented, smart, or funny to be successful in Hollywood.

Pure Funny!

[osusullins · 9/10 · 17 July 2006]

I was lucky enough to be at a premiere in Chicago for this movie and it was pure fun entertainment. I am not a nascar fan and I love this movie. First off let me say that most of the scenes that they show in the previews are not in the movie, or are at least altered from the trailer version. The characters are extremely funny. John C. Reily and Will Farrell make a perfect red-neck match in this comedy. They play off each other and you can tell that they must have had a blast making this movie. The scene where they are saying grace around the table will, in my opinion, go down as one of the funniest scenes ever. I rank this movie right up there with other will Farrell greats like Old School, Wedding Crashers and Anchorman. So, whether you are a will Farrell fan or not, if you just enjoy fun movies that will have you laughing out loud from start to finish, than you should definitely go check this movie out when it comes out. I will be the guy in the front of the line waiting to get my ticket to see this movie again. A+

Will Ferrell: hilarious as always

[Derek237 · 6/10 · 14 August 2006]

I saw Talledega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby last night. I was in need of a good laugh, and the flick certainly delivered. As usual, Will Ferrell is unbelievably funny and the main attraction. The actual movie, however, was fairly mediocre.

It feels very fractured; as if there's enough deleted scenes to make an entirely different movie (as the case was with Wake Up Ron Burgundy). I also get the feeling that they left out many funny moments to tell the tale of a man who was destined to go fast, got too cocky, and learned some valuable life lessons blah, blah, blah. I hate to say it, but it almost feels like something Happy Madison productions would dish out. Honestly, if it were not for Will Ferrell, if, say, Rob Schnieder or David Spade was in the lead, I probably would have hated this movie. But because Ferrell is so damn lovable, and because the movie had its share of funny moments and very quotable lines, I liked it. You can already tell by some of the career moves he has been making (many have been flying under the radar), Will Ferrell is slowly gearing towards an image that is more than just the lovable, hilarious idiot. And I think that just establishes him further as a kind of America's Sweetheart type.

John C Rielly is also worth pointing out. He's a great actor, but he seems to be at most ease when he's playing a buffoon. And his character here is about as big of a buffoon as you can imagine.

None of the other actors have many laughs, unfortunately. Sacha Cohen got a little irritating after a while, and every other talent is wasted. Michael Clarke Duncan. They have Michael Clarke Duncan in the damn movie and they don't do a single funny thing with him. Imagine what they could have done with him! Instead, his only laugh comes literally once the movie is over, in a blooper. David Koechner is also in the movie but he merely lingers around like a ghost. He had one scene in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and that made a more lasting impression than the couple of scenes he had in this one. There's also some cameos, of two famous singers who normally would not associate with each other (I guess that's as far as the joke goes), and they do nothing. They just sit there and don't say a word.

So, put that all together and your main reason to see this movie is Will and John: Shake and Bake. There are big laughs here and there, and some great great lines (the crack dealer line, the highlander line, the big red advertisement, pissing excellence, are some that stood out for me) but I guess when they edited the movie they wanted a plot. And that takes the fun out of it. It's painfully formulaic, and even many of the jokes are predictable, too. There's a kiss scene at the end that you can see coming from miles away. Sure, you can't really believe it (in a good, funny way), but you could anticipate it. Ferrell's other movies like Anchorman or Old School were in their own ways unpredictable, or at least, less predictable than this. It makes a comedy so much funnier if you don't know where it's headed from the second it starts. Anchorman barely had a plot and it turned out amazing because of that. There was more room for the funny stuff. Male Chauvanism. Panda Bears. That's all the plot I need.

If Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay collaborate for another comedy, I hope to see two things: A longer title and a thinner plot.

My rating: 6.5/10

Stupid,dumb but frickin hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable.

[rkeaney · 7/10 · 16 September 2006]

Okay i love great movies ...e.g(american beauty,lotr trilogy,star wars,saving private Ryan,fight club,etc.)But everyone once in a while loves to sit down and watch a stupid dumb but frickin hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable movie..in my opinion talladega nights fits that bill perfectly..I really couldn't stop laughing in this movie..Along with witty one liners and a hilarious co cast..Will Ferrell proves that he is probably one of the funniest men alive.

Will Ferrell plays the competitive and stupid nascar driver Ricky Bobby who is content on nothing but winning until Jean Girrard(Sacha Baron Cohen who i thought was hilarious as the gay french formula 1 driver)comes onto the nascar circuit and at once Ricky has met his match..after a nervous breakdown Ricky loses everything except his kids and parents..who teach him that winning isn't everything like he always thought..

This is completely stupid all the way through but brilliantly entertaining and frickin hilarious..Best comedy of the year along with clerks 2 & Borat.

7/10- a great movie to watch at the cinema and one of the funniest this year ..i strongly recommend this movie

Just flat out funny

[malcolmjohnston · 7/10 · 17 February 2021]

Just a great funny film Silly but very funny The only flaw I'd find is the inclusion of Baron Choen Who is just flat annoying rather than the rest of the cast Why and how he makes a living out of comedy is a mystery to me

Standard Ferrell Idiocy

[deepfrieddodo · 7/10 · 14 April 2024]

One of Ferrell's stronger, fearlessly idiotic films, with the style his career is built on: comedy surrounding moronic characters doing stupid stuff.

Ricky Bobby, showcasing all the stereotypical characteristics of a redneck, is a loudmouth NASCAR driver of immense talent, who either wins or crashes trying. When a sophisticated but snooty French Formula One driver encroaches on Bobby's territory, he goes all out to stay number one.

Ferrell has a great chemistry with Reilly, a connection to be visited later in their careers. In general, it is a fairly star-studded cast, Adams thrown in with a fairly minor impact role for most of the film. Cohen is recruited to lean into a daft foreign stereotype, his speciality, but with no need for subtlety on this one, blunt jokes revolving around how the character's supposed superiority and often his homosexuality is responded to by the world of NASCAR.

Much like Anchorman and Step Brothers, the film is really ridiculous, loud and brash. Something Ferrell's fans will love, and that others would hate. Honestly though, the bloopers at the end are probably the funniest part.

Tricky 'Ricky'.

[vip_ebriega · 7/10 · 12 July 2008]

My Take: One of the most effective comedies in a long time.

Most comedians should owe much to Will Farrell, who may be the last best comedian at work in Hollywood to date. After charming me with ELF and then again in ANCHORMAN: THE LEGEND OF RON BURGUNDY, Farrell returns in yet another highly-funny comedy that still proves that Farrell's definition of comedy is just the same as ours. Completely wacky jokes and public satire are surprisingly clever in TALLADEGA NIGHTS: THE BALLAD OF RICKY BOOBY. While it isn't exactly of all tastes (messy humor and crude language may turn off a considerable legion of audience), but it's adult comedy at best. This time, there really are laughs when they mean "adult humor".

Farrell plays boastful NASCAR driver Ricky Booby, who has it all, from sexy wife (Leslie Bibb), all the money and all the first-place wins he can possible loath. But after a turn in his career, Booby gets a taste of the simple life as a second banana to best friend Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly) and embarrassed by a daredevil yet gay French racer (Sacha Baron Cohen). Stuck being a pizza boy living with his mom, Booby returns to the fast lane with a little "help" from his long-lost drunk daddy (Gary Cole).

It's racist, noisy and offensive to be sure. But it's also funny, clever and really winning at the same time. TALLADEGA NIGHTS isn't the best and most creative comedy to come out in Hollywood for many years, certainly not the best one out in the year. But with much funnier and more effective term for humor, it's a success all its own for what it is.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5.

I Hate To Admit It, But I Liked This One

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 17 December 2006]

Ricky Bobby grows up to become a big-time race car driver. With the conflict of having no father to raise him, life was not always easy. And now, as an adult, he is finally ready to meet his match: a French driver from the Formula Un series. Can Ricky make him surrender? Shake and bake! I really don't want to like this film, because I think Will Ferrell is past his prime already and on his way out. The bigger a role he receives, the less likely he is to make a good movie, because he is just such a dumb actor. Popping in for a brief time ("Wedding Crashers") is alright, but a full movie ("Elf")? I don't know. Yet, he took the whole film here and ran with it.

The help came from John C. Reilly, who was fantastic as Cal Naughton, Jr. While he is not the usual co-star of Ferrell (such as Vince Vaughn, or one of the Wilson brothers) he was a dominant force. Seeing some new faces was very good, although having "Crash" from "Anchorman" was a nice touch, as I would consider "Anchorman" to be Ferrell's best film.

Stealing the show was Sacha Baron Cohen as Jean Girard. I did not even recognize him until the movie was almost over. Cohen is a master of disguise ("Alig G", "Borat", "Bruno") and I would say this was his best performance yet. All the French references were great (Albert Camus, Perrier, crepes) and this character was so much more than just a simple parody of French culture. Why he was hanging out with Elvis Costello and Mos Def is unknown to me.

This film has the comedy that other films by these creators have, with constant pop culture references that pay off if you get it. And heck, if you don't, there's a good amount of really stupid humor, too (such as the imaginary fire). My favorite scene might be where they try to figure out how to pry out a knife from a man's leg.

If you want a cheese fountain at your wedding with nachos and seven different kinds of cheese, you need to see this movie.

The fastest got paid and laid!!!!!

[rajatdahiyax · 7/10 · 8 September 2014]

When America's number one NASCAR speed-demon is issued a direct challenge from a gay, French Formula One racer with a hunger for the top spot and a mean talent for tight-cornering, the race is on to become the number one man in all of NASCAR in a full throttle comedy starring Will Ferrell and directed by Anchorman cohort Adam McKay. Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) is a national hero with a "smokin' hot" trophy wife, pair of borderline-abusively precocious sons, and an endless line of endorsement deals filling his mansion with toys and driveway with sports cars and Hummers. His racing partner and lifelong friend Cal Naughton, Jr. (John C. Reilly), never fails to provide him with a hand on the racetrack, frequently performing their trademark "slingshot" maneuver to shoot Ricky into first place, leaving Cal in second. While the public loves these buddies (popularly known by the meaningless childhood nicknames they find so exceedingly cool: "Shake and Bake"), a wedge comes between the two, as Ricky Bobby's longstanding winning-streak is broken by flamboyant French Formula One driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), robbing Ricky of everything in an instant as the trauma leaves him unable to drive. Ricky's wife takes his fortunes while Cal takes his wife, and now he's back with his mother (Jane Lynch) and long-estranged father (Gary Cole). Things look bad for Ricky, but his father was once a race car driver himself, and now with the help of a training montage, a live cougar, and the courage to drive without his gleaming white Wonder Bread endorsement, Ricky might be ready to face the track again.

Long Overdue NASCAR Parody

[wastebot · 8/10 · 4 August 2006]

You still get plenty of fast paced action, muscle cars, and massive car crashes. You just get to laugh a lot too.

Will Ferrell really doesn't get enough credit for his acting. As mindless as it seems, he still manages to make it believable. You have to keep in mind it's usually during over-the-top parodies, so it's supposed to be carefree and with complete disdain, yet he still manages to make it intelligent most of the time (at least in this film), so the result is far more than simple fart and gross-out type jokes.

He also had the benefit of writing this film, cast members like John C. Reilly and Sasha Baron Cohen, and a focus for the film in deep need of parody. NASCAR has been long overdue.

Pretty funny movie

[tuozee · 7/10 · 8 January 2021]

There were some funny moments that made movie worth watching. Oddly everything except Nascar things were funny. Maybe Im too European to understand.