Will & Grace (Blades of Glory (DVD))

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Product:	Blades of Glory (DVD)
Date:	31.12.07 (68 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Ferrell is a funny guy

Disadvantages: Please rate me!

So what a year it's been for Will Ferrell. Few get him or his humor but you are getting a lot of him now, whether you like it or not, this, the latest in a long line of themed and hilarious comedy vehicles for the dead pan comic. When the producers of his last movie, 'Talladega Nights', pitched it all they had to say was: 'Will Ferrell does NASCAR, the redneck jokes writing themselves there and then. So why not Will Ferrell on Ice? Anyone else attempting to pen such a comedy around an all male ice dancing pair would certainly have fallen through the ice without Ferrell, this time Ben Stiller putting the money up.

Ferrell just seems to be able to play any comedy role. Be it his Christmas Elf or his brilliant Newscaster in 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy', the ex Saturday Night Live stand up just seems to nail it. Teaming him up the weird and wonderful John Heder of Napoleon Dynamite fame, both men comfortably over 6ft, is about an awkward situation in comedy as you can get on ice and proves the old adage that if the man is funny then the idea usually follows suit. Ferrell is so good at this stuff that I reckon he could even make a snooker comedy. Watch this space guys!

-The Plot-

Ferrell plays redneck skater 'Chazz Michael-Michaels', his outrageous cowboy skating routine to Motley Crew wooing the crowd once again, this time at the Winter Olympics in Stockholm. His number one contender is fellow U.S. favorite for the gold in 'Jimmy McElroy' (John Heder), the All-American blue-eyed alter-ego of Michaels, the latter`s routines sensitive and elegant to Michaels obnoxious showboating. After two stunning performances the gold is shared, resulting in a predictable punch-up on the rostrum for the top step, sending McElroy spinning into the Olympic torch, igniting the official mascot, both earning career ending bans for their behavior.

So three years on and enter a washed up Olympic skating coach (Craig T Nelson) to the tale, realizing it may not be over just yet for the boys after a close examination of the rule book during a moment of inspiration, a loop-hole offering a reprieve. They may be banned as single contestants but not as a pair, a unique precedent in the sport about to be set. But how to break the news. Macho Michaels is now a drunk doing Holiday on Ice shows in big-tops to pay the bills whilst the effeminate McElroy works in a skate shop. But with no other alternative open and their lives ruined they have no choice but to give it a go if they ever want to skate competitively again, the coming World Championships the target.

Once acquainted the fun begins, especially trying to get them just to get on- like who is going to be the 'female' of the pair in their specially prepared routine and pink and pale blue sequins. Not only that but the coach wants the boys to include his infamous and deadly move, the 'Iron Lotus', its only previous outing resulted in decapitation by a razor sharp skate blade.

Their main competition comes from the bitchy darlings of the Ice Pairs scene in the brother and sister team of Stranz and Faith Van Waldenburg ( Will Arnett and Amy Poehler ), who are determined to hold onto their crown come what may, especially when the unlikely male pairing start to make progress. But instead of taking an iron bar to Heders ankles they use a more subtle distraction to make sure they win, their younger sister Katie (Jenna Fischer), Heder surprisingly taking a shine to her (he's a straight male skater), Michaels always on hand for some gigolo love advice to complete the coupling and keep the kids eyes on the pie as well as the prize.

-CAST-

Will Ferrell ... Chazz Michael Michaels
Jon Heder ... Jimmy MacElroy
Will Arnett ... Stranz Van Waldenberg
Amy Poehler ... Fairchild Van Waldenberg
Jenna Fischer ... Katie Van Waldenberg
William Fichtner ... Darren MacElroy
Craig T. Nelson ... Coach
Romany Malco ... Jesse
Nick Swardson ... Hector
Scott Hamilton ... Sports Anchor
Andy Richter ... Mountie
Greg Lindsay ... Mountie
Rob Corddry ... Bryce

*Mr. Ferrell's movies you should see*

Dodgeball
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy:
Starsky & Hutch
Stranger Than Fiction
Talladega Nights

*Mr Heders film you should see*

Napoleon Dynamite

-Ratings-

Ultimate Film Magazine Year Book scores it 4/5
Imdb.com scores it 6.80 (27,234 votes)

-Conclusions-

I think you know I like this guy and I'm here to tell you to start renting his movies now he's found his comedy feet. It wasn't a great start with 'Elf', and for many that's probably where you left him. But if you give him another go with this then I promise you will laugh out loud at least three or four times with plenty of giggles in between. The ice is slapstick heaven and the awkwardness between the two makes for some great set pieces, Heder particularly good as the sparkly with teeth innocent. Once the two break down that gauche barrier the buddy humor piles up and the chemistry melts the ice. It's not that irritating puerile humor or anything to clever, just an honest laugh from a guy who isn't skating on comedy thin ice any more. And if you don't laugh at this movie then you are very hard to please. Trust me on this one-its Ferrell time!

= = = = = = = SPECIAL FEATURES = = = = = = = =

-The Return to Glory: The Making of 'Blades'

General silliness behind the camera from Will & Co, this, the first segment of what looks likes it been hacked from the rest of the extras, dragging things out some. Will and Stiller enjoy doing their Spinal Tap thing on these.

-Celebrations on thin Ice-

More of the same I'm afraid.

-Cooler than Ice: The super sexy costumes of skating-

-Arnett & Poehler: The family affair.

This real life husband and wife team plays brother and sister in the movie. I have to confess Arnett is a bit of a tit off camera, trying to hard to be whacky...

-Twenty questions with Scott Hamilton-

Scott, for those not into ice skiing, was the Canadian world and Olympic champion in the eighties when the sport was huge, Torville & Deans days. Tonya Harding and Sacha Baron-Cohen, amongst other celebrities, also cameo here. Scott (who is just under five feet small) answers twenty questions from Ben Stiller. At this point in the DVD extras the word filler comes to mind. Hamilton looks just like Luke Hamill, which was question one.

-Hector: A Portrait of a Psycho Fan-

Heders character has a stalker in the movie, which I forgot to tell you about because it's not important.

-Deleted Scenes-

As ever with Ferrell movies he does tend to waffle on with his unique and dry 'improv'. This is the Will Ferrell that puts most people off.

-Movie Unscripted with Cast & Crew-

More of the same...

-Gag Reel-

-Alternative Takes-

Yet more 'improv'...

-Music Video-

A bizarre Michael Bolton look-alike, who calls himself 'Bo Bice', sings the theme tune in his video here; John Heder dressed as Napoleon Dynamite on the piano completes the joke...

-MTV-

MTV web links.

-Galleries-

Yawn...

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
RuN=TiMe 100 minutes
(300 minutes with the bloody 'extras')
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =


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Summary: Ferrell is the new Chevvy Chase.