Just in time for our Presidential campaign and in order to satirize our own state of politics in America, two bozos go head-to-head in a tale of timely nonsense about just how low can you go! The film opens with a Ross Perot quote “War has rules, mud-wrestling has rules, politics
has no rules” and Will Farrell is Cam Brady the unruly and unopposed King-of-Congress-sleazebag from North Carolina. That is until Zach Galifianakis shows up as Marty Huggins, a lovable butter ball turkey dressed in Mister Rogers sweaters with matching Sesame Street attitude. He’s that backwoods black sheep family member dug up by two CEO’s (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) who want to finance
his campaign, because if he wins, these tyoons can “Insource” cheapo Chinese labor by building two factories in Carolina creating jobs, for, well, the Chinese!
Director Jay Roach is ordinarily great at these wacky premises Meet the Fockers and Austin Powers and this one ensures a deep belly-laughing audience as well. Image is everything in a political campaign and all the spin doctors are out in full force.
All the clichés are there. The twittering to lovers, the drunk driving, the extra-marital affairs, the hunting accident, you name it, even the Muslim suggestions – this film covers every faux pas from Clinton to Schwarzenegger.
Dylan McDermott adds punch to the film as the hot Campaign manager to Huggins, working against a ticking clock til voting day.
The film is hilarious since the joke is sadly on us Americans. But while Ferrell pulls from his well-crafted routine of George Bush back from his SNL days, perhaps it’s Mitt Romney’s found his running mate. I am the Screen Queen and I approve this message. And I give
the film 3.5 tiaras