Director: Jay Roach
Starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifiniakis, Dan Ackroyd, John Lithgow, Brian Cox
Running Time: 81 minutes
Certificate: 15
Extras: Deleted Scenes
Will Ferrell continues to monopolise the ‘inexplicably successful’ part in comedies with THE CAMPAIGN, alongside Zach Galifianakis whose dominance of the ‘weird, slightly camp, loser’ also shows no sign of slowing down. Sadly whilst these two have their characters nailed, the one thing missing from this satire is laughs.
Cam Brady (Ferrell) has been North Carolina congressman for seven terms, each unopposed. Seeking to sell North Carolina to the Chinese, CEOs the Motch brothers, Glenn (Lithgow) and Wade (Ackroyd), offer tourism director Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) a route into office, and the path to acceptance of Raymond (Cox) his Father.
THE CAMPAIGN’s problems start and end with its stars. Whilst Ferrell’s other Adam McKay produced films have featured natural improvisation, THE CAMPAIGN’s feels forced, confused and unfunny: sexual innuendo, a running joke about opening doors, and the punching of infants and animals are present and feel tired. This isn’t only for the viewer, the leads seem at a loss struggling to make Chris Henchy and Shane Harwell’s script pop – never more apparent than during a second act that fails to hold attention.
Made with the best intentions THE CAMPAIGN is far from the worst comedy (hello MEET THE SPARTANS) but it’s mediocrity borders on tedium. 81 minutes in length it plods on pleasantly enough until the predictable and elongated finale which outstays its welcome.
With tired characters, a lack of laughs and actors who seem to know as much, THE CAMPAIGN fails to live up to its expectations and is as dull as an actual election campaign.
Extras: The deleted scenes show nothing to warrant their inclusion and add to the mediocrity.
THE CAMPAIGN is released on DVD and Blu-ray 21st January
