Review of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) by Stuart K — 30 Apr 2014

After the success of Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell reunited for this comedy which lampoons one of America's greatest pastimes, NASCAR racing. This was simply pitched to the studio in 6 words, "Will Ferrell as a NASCAR driver.

" It paid off, and it makes for a very silly and enjoyable comedy about a true American idiot. Ricky Bobby (Ferrell) grew up wanting to drive really fast, and he gets his big break at driving when he replaces NASCAR driver Terry Cheveaux (McKay), and his rise to fame is immediate, and his friend from childhood Cal Naughton, Jr.

(John C. Reilly) joins the team as a driver too. Ricky marries Carly (Leslie Bibb), and have two children, Walker (Houston Tumlin) and Texas Ranger (Grayson Russell). But, Ricky's success is short lived when French Formula 1 driver Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen) beats him on the track, and Ricky goes to pieces, and is dropped by his racing team, it takes his father Reese (Gary Cole) and secretary Susan (Amy Adams) to help him recover.

Ferrell has great fun playing absolute ninny's like this, and while it's not as good as the Anchorman films, it has a lot of funny moments and it manages to spoof the car films Burt Reynolds used to make like Smokey and the Bandit (1977) and Stroker Ace (1983).

In fact, he's the only thing missing from the film.