Ever since the delightful "Elf," Will Ferrell's film career has been on a serious down cycle. "Bewitched." "Kicking & Screaming." "The Producers." "Winter Passing." "Melinda and Melinda." Even his uncredited appearances stunk. ("Starsky & Hutch," anyone?) "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" puts him back on the comedy fast track with style and a load of belly laughs. Reunited with Adam McKay, the director of the likable "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," the star has also reconnected with the bumptious, lunkheaded sweetness that made "Elf" a hit, with an added sprinkling of Burgundy's outsized ego. Read the full review
Ricky Bobby is a NASCAR racing sensation whose "win at all costs" approach has made him a national hero. When a flamboyant French Formula One driver challenges him, Ricky Bobby must fight for his place as racing's top driver.
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen, John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Amy Adams
Run time: 105 minutes
Release date: August 4, 2006
Rating: PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence.
See showtimes
On the backlot
• Will Ferrell says he honed his comedy in elementary school.
• Product placements linger long after the credits roll.
On the web
Official movie site
View the trailer
Trailers require
Quicktime
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: B+
"... as friendly, playful and unassuming as a puppy."
Austin American-Statesman: 3 of 5 stars
"...plays like a sunny, fatuous cartoon. The emotions are ersatz, the melodrama purely mock."
The Palm Beach Post: C-
"... formulaic humor, without a cerebral joke in sight."
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