Review of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) by Simeon T — 06 Aug 2015

Like Anchorman, this is a slapdash mess which showcases a stubborn refusal to have anything to do with brevity, comedic timing or the kind of attention to structure one normally finds in successful comedy films.

But Unlike Anchorman it somehow works really well. There is dead space, but there are also some seriously inspired and hilarious bits (the car crash due to the way too large"Fig Newtons" sticker on the windshield is a personal favorite).

My absolute favorite bits are actually in the outtakes, a pleasingly lengthy extension of the early scene where Ricky and Cal hawk questionable merchandise with increasingly ridiculous phrases. Much of the best humor does indeed revolve around advertising, and the film could have been a preachy screed of a satire, but it isn't because it aims instead to be a heaping mess of delicious comedy, and in that it succeeds with flying colors.

Shake and Bake!