Will Ferrell in Lycra and sequins deadpans as he holds Jon Heder in a position that puts them crotch-to-face to the strains of "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."
Ridiculously stupid? Hilariously funny? Well, whichever you think, that's pretty much the humor of Blades of Glory.
Ferrell plays the "bad boy" of figure skating, a sex addict who -- scandalously! -- improvises his moves, licks fans faces during routines and shoots fire from his hands at the end of his performances.
Heder's character is, of course, the opposite -- a wispy childlike mop-top who dresses as a light blue peacock, complete with tail and sequins, in his opening scene.
The two get into a public tussle on the ice, which results in a lifetime ban from male figure skating.
Fast forward three years later. Heder's stalker (a hilarious Nick Swardson) finds a loophole that allows Heder and Ferrell to compete as a pair. Although the two hate each other, they join forces to escape the life of a washed-up skater.
In competition they come up against the Van Waldenbergs (played by real life couple Amy Poehler and Will Arnett), a brother and sister who are the reigning pair figure skaters. Hilarity ensues as the Van Waldenbergs try to sabotage Ferrell and Heder's characters.
The plot of this movie is predictably weak, and the writing is only decent. The humor mostly comes from the actors' improvisations.
From my experience, you either love Ferrell and think he's a comedic genius or you just don't get the appeal.
Either way it's undeniable that his talent lies in getting into his characters. He commits to Chaz Michael Michaels, and it pays off.
Heder, while not up to par with Ferrell, was the perfect choice for the role. His gap-mouth delivery and goofy innocence is a great counterpart to Ferrell's coarseness.
Although both Ferrell and Heder are satisfactorily funny, the directors make the mistake of under-using Poehler and Arnett, who steal whatever scene they're in.
The skating scenes, also, while in no way resembling real figure skating routines, were surprisingly fun to watch. The directors use a combination of the actors, stunt doubles and computer effects to produce almost realistic sequences.
The problem with the movie is that it rests completely on one joke -- two guys skating together in sequins. While it does make some feeble attempts to poke fun at the figure skating world, the satire is predictable and therefore easy to ignore. There is nothing in this movie, stylistically or conceptually, that allows it to rise above a silly comedy.
This is a must-see for Ferrell fans. For everyone else, go in with low expectations and you'll get an entertaining experience. Grade B
- Reviewed by Brianna Labuskes
