BY MICHAEL GOODPASTER
When I first heard about The Campaign I was excited to see it. Then I saw the trailer and was really excited to see it. Sadly, when it came out I missed my chance to get to the theatre. Who wouldn’t want to see a movie where Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis go back and forth in a crazy political campaign? I know I did. The movie centers around Will Ferrell, a Congressman who is ready to run for his fifth term unopposed. He gets involved with a scandal so two corrupt businessmen, Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow; get the lame duck Zach Galifianakis to run. Will Ferrell is a cocky asshole type while Zach Galifianakis is a bit on the feminine side and is a super cheesy family guy. The contrasts of personalities make for some hilarious moments. I wasn’t expecting this movie to be the best comedy ever or anything, but it definitely lives up to the expectations. It’s about an hour and a half of non-stop laughing. I was exactly what I had hoped it would have been and then some. This has to be the best Will Ferrell comedy I can remember in a while as Zach Galifianakis adds another A-game comedy to his growing career. It was great to see Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow show up and do their best “old white guys from Trading Places” impression. The rest of the cast was nothing to sleep on either. Dylan McDermott, Jason Sudeikis, and Jack McBrayer all have key supporting roles that add tons to the movie. McDermott’s character is just really weird and McBrayer rocked in his extended cameo of flashbacks. It’s under 90 minutes, which is too short for this fun movie. I guess my only other complaint is that it felt like Sudeikis was a little underutilized, but he still did a good job in the role. The cast was a nice combination of personalities, the story was a fun twist on a political comedy, and it’s one of the best comedies I’ve seen in a while. There are a few scenes that stand out and could be comedy moments we’ll look back on ten years from now very fondly. One scene specifically comes to mind. Zach Galifianakis is at the dinner table with his family and tells them to be honest and say anything bad they’ve done before the election starts and they become part of the public eye. What happens is pretty much a cut montage of the two funny kids and the great wife character all just dropping crazy bombs. The things they admit to are horrendous, but you can’t help but laugh your ass off. There is the scene in the trailer where Will Ferrell punches a baby. You know it’s coming, but when it does it’s great. If you like laughing you need to see this movie. A-
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