Movie Review: The Campaign

The Campaign, which teams up comedy dream-team Will Ferrell and Zach Galifinakis, is one of the funniest, yet most underrated comedies I've seen this year. Cam Brady, (played by Farrell, channelling his Ricky Bobby role), is a bumbling congressman that has ran unopposed for five terms. Marty Huggins, played by Galifinakis, is the local "town tour-giver," and is the patriarch of a traditional Southern Baptist family, who decides to finally challenge Cam to appease his fathers disappointment. So this brings us to all out war. Cam is caught up in a scandal (which is a blatant reference to Bill Clinton), which threatens to ruin his political career. Marty is blackmailed and then turned into someone who he is not comfortable with. Both opponents dig up old secrets and bring new ones to light. In the end, the right person wins, and both turn from opponents into friends and co-workers.

This film was filled to the brim with humor and great performances. Ferrell and Galifinakis are great together, mixing a perfect combination of Ferrell's slapstick and Galifinakis' quirkiness. They both have their fair share of scenes and one-liners, and they just blend together very well. There are some funny cameos by Dan Akroyd and a few other comedic classics. The writing was very funny and well paced, never dragging or lacking a fair share of humor. I believe some people just take this film too seriously, thinking that the jokes were silly and the performances just a little too wacky. I just think this film should be taken with a grain of salt. Just sit back and enjoy, laugh at the jokes (you know they're funny), and have fun. Galifinakis is charming as Marty, and I just think the movie as a whole deserves more credit than it has been given. A good movie to watch with buddies, for date night, or just to have a good laugh. It could have been a disaster, but it was not. And I respect it for that.

Rating: B+

Movie Review: ParaNorman

From the artists and directors who gave us Coraline and Corpse Bride, ParaNorman is a smart, funny, non-traditional family film satire on the horror genre, which also transcends the boundaries and expectations of animation in the process. In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock is a boy who can speak to the dead, but no one besides his eccentric new friend, Neil, believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's estranged eccentric uncle tells him of an important annual ritual he must take up to protect the town from an curse cast by a witch it condemned centuries ago. Eventually, Norman decides to cooperate, but things don't go according to plan. Now, a magic storm of the witch threatens Blithe Hollow as the accursed dead rise. Together with unexpected new companions, Norman struggles to save his town, only to discover the horrific truth of the curse. 

This is just one of those films you must see in order to fully appreciate it. The animation overall was beautiful, seeming to combine the stop motion technique used in Coraline and Corpse Bride with the CGI setting of modern animation (used to greatest avail by Disney/Pixar). Everything from the construction of Blithe Hollow to each character is extremely detailed, and at times, there are great moments dedicated to just the scenery. The voice acting from the cast was very well done. Kodi Smitt-McPhee does well as the title character, and John Goodman, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Casey Affleck all give good supporting performances. The script is very smart and well-written, providing plenty of great moments for both children and adults. And above all, the film teaches us in a subtle manner the importance of family and friendship, and how anything can be achieved through both. A great film, and a serious contender for the Best Animated Feature Oscar. It's not just for kids, and I implore you to go see it. 

Rating: A