Review of Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) by Van R — 17 Sep 2011

ANCHORMAN director Adam McKay and Will Ferrell must have had a blast making this zany farce about a NASCAR champion driver who experiences the high times along with the low times on the racing circuit.

Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is born in the backseat of the sports car owned by his father Reese Bobby (Gary Cole of OFFICE SPACE) late one evening on the way to the delivery room. You see Reese is a speed demon who can never spend an length of time in a single spot without incurring the wrath of those around him.

Nevertheless, Reese instills the quality of speed in his son throughout his public school education. Meantime, Ricky makes fast friends with his classmate Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly of STEPBROTHERS) in school.

Initially, they constitute part of the pit crew for a NASCAR driver who has no desire to win. During one race, the driver walks off to eat lunch and Ricky decides to take over for him. Later, when Cal joins him on the racetrack, they become a NASCAR sensation because Cal willingly helps Ricky win just about every race.

They call their strategy shake and bake. Ricky is married to a red hot momma, Carley (Leslie Bibb of LAW ABIDING CITIZEN) and they have two bratty outspoken little boys. Nothing serious happens in this slam-bang comedy with Ferrell having a field day with his moronic protagonist.

Half-way through the action, Ricky meets a guy who is more than his match. Gallic gear-jammer Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen of BRUNO) comes to America strictly to beat Ricky on his own turf. Whereas Ricky embraces all the characteristics of an Anglo-Saxon, white male with two kids and a bubble-headed wife, Jean is gay with a husband.

Things take an unexpected turn for our hero when he crashes his ride during a race and emerges unscathed physically but devastated mentally. The same way that an alcoholic suffers from the D.T.s is the way that Ricky reacts to being torched.

He cannot climb back behind the wheel and ends up delivering pizzas until the authorities take his driving license away from him. Not only does Cal take over his job as the leader racer but his old friend also takes possession of his wife.

Eventually, Reese returns and puts Ricky through a boot camp to help his son recover his courage. One of the funniest gags occurs when Reese forces Ricky to drive his car with a female cougar named Karen in the vehicle.

As long as Ricky acts calmly, Reese assures him that the cat will not maul him. There are lots of hilarious jokes and then there are some jokes that don't work. Happily, most of the good jokes are really funny.

Amy Adams has a good role. The finale between Jean Girand and Ricky is pretty funny, too. Religious types may object to the prayer that is said during a big meal.