Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Movie Review

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)

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Written by: Will Ferrell & Adam McKay
Directed by: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Sacha Baron Cohen, Gary Cole, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Jance Lynch, Amy Adams, Andy Richter, Molly Shannon
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
Ricky Bobby jumps from pit crew to number one race car driver. When a French Formula One driver makes his way up the ladder, Ricky Bobby's talent and devotion are put to the test.

Verdict
This is one of the few, if not the only, Ferrell centered comedies I like. A large part of that is likely that this is a spoof of Days of Thunder. This is over the top and often silly, but it's taking a typical sports movie scenario and making each scene ridiculous. This skewers rich athletes, Southern culture, and NASCAR.
Watch It.

Review
It's a comedy version of Days of Thunder, and knowing that movie makes this one even funnier as it spoofs much of it.  It's as over the top as most of Will Ferrell's movies, though not as crude. I like this the most of Ferrell's comedies.

A deadbeat dad inspires Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) to go fast and race cars. Ricky goes from pit crew to driver when the other driver breaks for lunch. Ferrell plays an imbecile which is his type. Ricky starts racing and wins immediately. While he's over confidant, you get why. He keeps winning. With his winnings and sponsors he goes the typical rich athlete route of ridiculous house and a driveway full of cars.

Will Ferrell plays Ricky Bobby

His children Walker and Texas Ranger are absolutely terrible, but it's funny how absurd they are. This movie does tap into some jokes that have depth like how parents name their children. Ricky's wife at one point states if she wanted her kids to be sissies, she'd have named them Dr. Quinn and Medicine Woman.

A French racer from F1 Jean Girard (Sascha Baron Cohen) challenges Ricky and NASCAR culture. NASCAR can be very macho, and Girard is nearly the typical Frenchman. I like Girard because his role is proving that you don't have to be the toughest, macho man to race cars and win.

John C. Reilly, Leslie Bibb, Will Ferrell, Sacha Baron Cohen play
Cal Naughton Jr, Carley Bobby, Ricky Bobby, Jean Girard

Ricky has an accident which terrifies him of racing. Ricky has to learn how to conquer that fear and return to the track. That's a big part of this movie as Ricky's dad comes back into the picture to help him overcome that fear through ridiculous lessons. Ricky tries to drive blindfolded and with a cougar.

What's fun about this movie is how it skewers all aspects of NASCAR, race movies, and sports stories. This can be kind of dumb like many of Ferrell's movie but even in the sillier moments this is referencing another movie, culture, or stereotypical sports stories.