2006, Columbia Pictures, Dir. Adam McKay - Starring Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Leslie Bibb, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, Michael Clarke Duncan, Houston Tumlin, Grayson Russell, Amy Adams, Greg Germann, Molly Shannon, Andy Ritcher

Simply put, Talladega Nights is Anchorman with half a tank of gas. This sophomore effort from Adam McKay and Will Ferrell is, well, sophomoric - and never achieves the same fiery humor that made his last production so memorable. Ferrell has shown in the past how he can take one-dimensional characters and make the most out of them, but he literally does nothing with his character Ricky Bobby. It’s got flair here and there, but lacks focus and structure. Whereas Anchorman was a period piece, thrashing down misogyny and chauvinism with biting jokes and outrageous supporting characters, there’s little to be impressed with here. That isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy it, because I could appreciate a few hearty chuckles. But what McKay and Ferrell chose as a target - the NASCAR outlet and American pride - has been a target for so many comedians in the past, it just feels like old game. Rarely does it feed off its own pointlessness and tries to crack a joke at the character’s flagrant stupidity. Ignorance can be funny, mind you, but this is objectiveless ignorance. Talladega Nights entertains in sputters, with a couple good performances, but the engine still needs a tune-up.

Ever since he was a kid, Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) wanted to go fast. Working on the NASCAR circuit for a terrible racer as part of the pit stop, Ricky got his chance to go big time after he replaces the driver on a whim, winning a race, and saving their sponsorship. Ricky is awarded with his own team, along with lifelong friend Cal Naughton (Reilly). Things are going just fantastic for Ricky, having married a “smoking hot” fan (Bibb), having a top-notch pit stop run by friend Lucius (Duncan), and catching a flow of cash from commercial work. But NASCAR didn’t see it coming - a homosexual French Formula 1 racer, Jean Girard (Cohen) - has come to the tracks to challenge Ricky, the seemingly perennial #1. This does not bide well with our hero, and his ego inflates to the point of silliness. His car crashes, leaving him in a delusional state where he believes he’s always on fire and is paralyzed from the hip down. Yes, this is bizarre, but stick with me. Anyway, Ricky meets his estranged father Reese Bobby (Cole), who begins to give him lessons to return to the racetrack. Throughout the journey, Ricky learns a little something about friendship, fear, and family. Sort of.

Let me just say first that I feel Will Ferrell is an immensely talented actor-comedian, and an actor that will be connected with this genre’s era. However, much like Ricky Bobby, it seems like Ferrell’s ego inflated with his character. Gone is the spark that made Ron Burgundy and Frank Ricard such funny guys to watch, but rather Ricky’s stupidity isn’t too funny. It rarely breaks boundaries, leaving the jokes to dwindle within the subjects of patriotism, sex, and homophobia. Ricky should have been more like the character of Cal, played by the talented John C. Reilly. In a turn from recent, much darker characters, the stage-actor Reilly brings that welcomed factor of bizarre humor to light. It’s apparent that like Ferrell, Reilly also has a penchant for improvisation. Gary Cole steals the scene as the obnoxious, drugged-out father of Ricky, Reese Bobby. It’s like watching a lost character from Easy Rider during a stand-up session - he pulls off one gag after another flawlessly. Also, Sacha Baron Cohen - everybody’s lovable ‘Borat’ - channels the aforementioned character through Jean Girard. But the character can bring a good number of laughs to the scene anyway, providing a bizarre (if not stereotypical) nemesis to the All-American hero.

Talladega Nights works best when it’s not going for straight, cliched blows to the NASCAR world. Redneck jokes and other moldy oldies feel out of place and uncultured, especially for Ferrell’s forte. The indirect, not-so-obvious gags are always winners. The finale surprised, but made me laugh - the music felt right, it just seemed back in touch. But what didn’t make sense was how they muddled through the first half so hastily. The story dives into Ricky’s life so quickly, and never takes a breath showing Ferrell up to his old cracks here and there. A “prayer scene” towards the very beginning is praiseworthy, as I couldn’t have imagined laughing at child actors so much in such a long time. Also worth mentioning are the action scenes, filmed at startling speeds on the racetrack. This may have been the work of studio execs - filming towards a select male audience with an affinity of racecars and profanity. There are times when I wonder how much control Ferrell really has of his “vehicle.” If he was letting Nights be driven by Sony Pictures, it’s sad to see the potential of this project tossed.

It’s a minor disappointment, but I’m sure a lot of audiences will appreciate Talladega Nights‘ sense of humor. It still has some sparkle to it, but there aren’t enough people and places to make it memorable. Speed’s good for Ricky Bobby, but haste makes waste.