Semi-Pro 03/16/08

(This movie is only slightly rotten) Early in Will Ferrel's career he was known as a scene stealer. (This is meant to be complimentary.) He would play these bit parts in movies such as Dick, Starsky and Hutch, Zoolander, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He would come into the movie, take it over for a couple minutes with a ridiculous character, and then high tail it out of there on a high note. I bring this up because Will's character in Semi-Pro is not unlike the hilarious one dimensional scene stealers he once played, except in this one, Will (Jackie Moon) stays for the entire picture. 
I never thought I would say this, but I think this movie would have been better if there was less Will Ferrel. Not that he isn't funny, its just his character is not someone you base a movie around. His character would make a kick ass scene stealer that enters when the movie needs a boost true, but then he should leave until the movie needed him again. Unfortunately Ferrel is such a big star he may not ever play those small great roles again. It was imperative that this movie was made about him, after all he was being paid the most. But the character is ridiculous and it hurts the movie that the camera would be so close that one starts seeing the impossibility of such a person. 
The movie should have been about Monix (Woody Harrelson) and Black Coffee (Andre Benjamin). These two are capable actors, though not comedians, that could have provided this movie a greater center. Instead their stories are somewhat ordinary and cliche and Andre sort of disappears in the second half. There is a host of other comedians here in bit roles. I recall seeing Rob Cordry, Ed Helms, Will Arnet, Andy Richter, and David Koechner. Andrew Daly provides the movie with some of its funniest lines as the commentator Dick Pepperfield. But the movie itself doesn't juggle these guys as well as Ferrel's other sports movies like Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory. When it comes to WIll Ferrel sports movies, this movie is not up to par with the rest. (I will say though, that a poor Will Ferrel movie is better than a lot of mediocre comedies. This movie does contain laughs)

I think this ought to be the last sports movie Will does. He's pretty much said all there is to say, and in this one, he wears his welcome out a bit. He needs to move on. (Actually looking at his future projects, it seems that he has. I'm looking forward to Step Brothers this Summer)

Blades of Glory 06/22/07

A comforting, unambitious, solid comedy from people who are venturing into well known waters. This has to be Will Ferrel's third sports movie (following KIcking and Screaming, and Talladega Nights) and the umpteenth time he played a droll, unmitigating badass. Again he knocks it out of the park. Why? Because like a very good Broadway star he manages to keep basically the same performance looking fresh and new. He's definitely the heart of the comedy, although another great part of this movie is the number of small parts that are given to well known faces. This movie has enough second tier comedians to rank it with a Christopher Guest film. In supporting roles we have Rob Corddry, Luke Wilson, Craig T. Nelson, Andy Richter, that gay guy from Reno 911, various skating stars (including an inspired cameo by Sasha Coen), the duo of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler who are perfect sister and brother villains, and Jen Fishcer, from the Office, as the shy love interest. All of them are playing roles they've played a thousand times before, but all of them play them well. So it's no surprise that the movie doesn't suck. Then again it's no surprise the movie is good. There you have it: no surprises period.

The one part of the movie that could have been better was Jon Heder. The main problem with this guy is that his acting conflicts with the part he's playing. He's supposed to be an infemminite, graceful, figure skating star. Instead Heder plays the guy like he's Napolean Dynamite's cousin. He's not graceful, he's clumsy and stupid. It doesn't fit well. and since the main love interest is between him and Jen Fischer I would have liked a guy that deserved to have someone fall in love with. Jen likes this guy because of the script, not because he's in anyway good looking or interesting. The role would have been better cast with a Topher Grace or maybe even a Jason Schwartzman.

But I'm getting carried away. The movie works and to it's credit it's not all gay jokes which was a relief. Some of it is clever wordplay. Notice a banter that takes place when the kids realize they have to spend the night in the same room. Ferrel objects and says deeply "Nights are a dark time for me." Which Heder retorts with "Nights' are a dark time for everyone." Ferrel shoots right back "Not for those living in Alaska and Men with night vision goggles." Very true, this movie relies on snappy lines like that. The movie's climatic scene is climatic and I was apprehensive and caught in the moment. The movie ends on a note that in a lesser comedy would have been bonehead ridiculous, but since I liked the movie I let the filmmakers get away with it and enjoyed it instead. 

The best part is a new twist on the old movie cliche "the nervous first telephone conversation," between Jen and Jon. What's great about is that both are receiving insane advice from Will Ferrel and Amy Poehler respectively. They both awkwardly throw heavily weighted innuendo at each other and are pleasantly surprised when the other responds positively even though they aren't really talking to each other and they're sages have completely different agendas. Those are good ingredients in any comedy, convenient complications.