The Campaign is a good satire of politics. The Campaign shows why the public has lost faith in the USA political process. The satire of the movie shows how candidates do not answer questions, but skirt issues and use generic themes like freedom etc. The Campaign shows there is no discussion of the issues and the two candidates deteriorate the campaign into the Springer show. One has sex with the other's wife as a campaign ad. The Campaign shows that the special interests run both parties, which is the reason why there is no real debate, and interest in what is good for the community. The film is funny but has some low ball comedy on Religion, sex, and people. I give The Campaign a seven out of ten.
212 Reviews
A Decent Comedy! Ferrell & Galifianakis deliver Superbly!
namashi_126 October 2012
Jay Roach's 'The Campaign' is A Decent Comedy, that offers genuine laughs in the goings-on. And, Ferrell & Galifianakis deliver Superbly!
'The Campaign' Synopsis: In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.
'The Campaign' is undeniably funny, I laughed & enjoyed myself. The film serves its purpose. Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell's Screenplay is funny & crisp. Jay Raoch's Direction is satisfactory. Cinematography & Editing are alright.
Ferrell & Galifianakis are up for vie top honors. The Comedic Veterans are hilarious in their respective parts & go head to head from start to end. Among the supporting cast, Jason Sudeikis is first-rate. Brian Cox, John Lithgow & Dan Aykroyd are excellent.
On the whole, 'The Campaign' works.
'The Campaign' Synopsis: In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.
'The Campaign' is undeniably funny, I laughed & enjoyed myself. The film serves its purpose. Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell's Screenplay is funny & crisp. Jay Raoch's Direction is satisfactory. Cinematography & Editing are alright.
Ferrell & Galifianakis are up for vie top honors. The Comedic Veterans are hilarious in their respective parts & go head to head from start to end. Among the supporting cast, Jason Sudeikis is first-rate. Brian Cox, John Lithgow & Dan Aykroyd are excellent.
On the whole, 'The Campaign' works.
The Campaign: A decent review to a decent movie.
Modest953 September 2012
Let me start off by saying that I love Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis. I love most of the films they starred in. So upon hearing that these two comedic heavyweights will be starring in the same movie together, you could imagine my excitement. Did it meet my expectations? Sort of. This comedy staring these two actors was enjoyable and had plenty of laughs but after viewing, I realized how it could have been much better.
Basically, Democratic playboy Cam Brady has to verse off against republican every-man Marty Huggins after Marty enters the race against the long-term congressmen Cam at the last minute. This of course leads to hilarious incidents that occur in both parties.
The basic plot line is really effective since the film is not biased and allows for making fun of both parties, which I very much appreciate. Unfortunately, the real issues lie in the acting and writing. Ferrell And Galifianakis really don't get the chance to spread there "wings" in this film. Both have the potential to be hilarious but they never get the chance. Jason Sudeiki's seems very unused as Cam Brady's Assistant Mitch. Again, he does not get the chance to shine in this film. I love John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd but there roles in this film are very unnecessary. They are not really funny or entertaining to watch. This is unfortunate. Jay Roach really tried to make a good film, but I think he picked the wrong actors for this film. He shines in romantic comedies like Meet the Parents but he is trying to hard to make a Will Farrell film. It would have been much better with Adam McKay.
It's not all bad though. The scenes that are funny, are hilarious and make will make anyone with a sense of humor laugh. The film's pacing is very good and the chemistry between Farrell And Galifianakis is just perfect. In the end, if you go in the theater with an open mind and a sense of humor, you will enjoy it. Just don't expect another Step Brothers or Hangover.
Basically, Democratic playboy Cam Brady has to verse off against republican every-man Marty Huggins after Marty enters the race against the long-term congressmen Cam at the last minute. This of course leads to hilarious incidents that occur in both parties.
The basic plot line is really effective since the film is not biased and allows for making fun of both parties, which I very much appreciate. Unfortunately, the real issues lie in the acting and writing. Ferrell And Galifianakis really don't get the chance to spread there "wings" in this film. Both have the potential to be hilarious but they never get the chance. Jason Sudeiki's seems very unused as Cam Brady's Assistant Mitch. Again, he does not get the chance to shine in this film. I love John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd but there roles in this film are very unnecessary. They are not really funny or entertaining to watch. This is unfortunate. Jay Roach really tried to make a good film, but I think he picked the wrong actors for this film. He shines in romantic comedies like Meet the Parents but he is trying to hard to make a Will Farrell film. It would have been much better with Adam McKay.
It's not all bad though. The scenes that are funny, are hilarious and make will make anyone with a sense of humor laugh. The film's pacing is very good and the chemistry between Farrell And Galifianakis is just perfect. In the end, if you go in the theater with an open mind and a sense of humor, you will enjoy it. Just don't expect another Step Brothers or Hangover.
The Campaign (2012) - He Just Punched a Baby!
nickmesafilms24 August 2012
Two comedic favorites Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis finally share the screen together in "The Campaign". Although being casted in their usual and cliché roles; Ferrell as a competitive mindless idiot that's considered the best at everything, and Galifanakis as a weird, but likable sweater vest-wearing dork; these two still share a decent chemistry in a movie that's although not a perfect comedy as you'd expect it to be, it's still a pretty decent comedy, that consistently hits the funny bone, sometimes in the right places. Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a presidential candidate that has never lost a single campaign in his life, and is now running for the fifth term. But then, out of the blue, to actually give Brady some competition, Galifanakis' Marty Huggins is volunteered to run for Congress. It then leads into one of the deadliest campaigns ever seen on the face of the earth. Although "The Campaign" doesn't reach the level of complete comedic gold, director Jay Roach was able to bring in some consistent funny moments that are more worthy of a giggle, rather than "bursting to tears" kind of laughs. I was really expecting more from Will Ferrell, who seems to be tiring in his cliché role, and I felt that it was really hard to feel sympathy for this character, because he's the only un-likable person throughout. I guess I had more sympathy for Galifanakis' character, because not only was he funny, but he was also the only person that I actually cared about. But aside from the two male leads, Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd, and Brian Cox round up the supporting cast, most of them delivering some decent enough performances. I say most of them, because Dylan McDermott's contribution as Marty's campaign manager seemed wasted in the role, and didn't really steal the scenes as everyone said he would. I honestly think that this guy wasn't really that funny. Although half of the jokes sadly fall flat, the other half is filled with one hilarious scene after the next. From the scene with Marty Huggin's family at the dinner table, to Cam accidentally punching a baby at a campaign party. This proves that there are scenes that help save this movie from being a bad one. Although at it's noticeable flaws, "The Campaign" is still a decent and pretty funny movie that has a clear perspective on what it was trying to be. "The Campaign", in my review, "laughable and enjoying, but hardly anything special".
Not too bad - a decent parody of US politics
grantss24 September 2016
Cam Brady (played by Will Ferrell) is a veteran politician and congressman. However, the power-brokers/people with the money in his party decide that he is a liability to the party and find another candidate to run against him, Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis). The campaign is going to be a dirty one...
Not too bad. Has some very funny lines and scenes and does parody American politics quite well. However, it does get mired in empty sentimentality and sub-plots that go nowhere. Plus, neither of the contenders are likable, leaving no "hero" to support.
Good performance from Will Ferrell. Zach Galifianakis' character was particularly irritating, but hard to fault the performance too much. Good support from Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott, plus from John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox in minor roles.
Not too bad. Has some very funny lines and scenes and does parody American politics quite well. However, it does get mired in empty sentimentality and sub-plots that go nowhere. Plus, neither of the contenders are likable, leaving no "hero" to support.
Good performance from Will Ferrell. Zach Galifianakis' character was particularly irritating, but hard to fault the performance too much. Good support from Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott, plus from John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox in minor roles.
One of the most memorable comedies of '012
StevePulaski11 August 2012
Just when you thought the Obama/Romney election was the dirtiest off all time, in walks Jay Roach's The Campaign, a sly and unassuming venture into the world of politics, weaving satire and sweetness in for welcomed entertainment. Not long ago, I watched Andrew Fleming's Dick, a clever satire on Richard Nixon's presidency and how two dim-witted teenage girls managed to uncover the Watergate scandal and beat him at his own game. The Campaign doesn't exceed those heights in surprises and observantly funny comedy, but it will provide most moviegoers with sufficient weekend entertainment. And in downtimes like the ones currently upon us, we should try and seek out those films.
The plot concerns Democratic Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) of North Carolina's fourteenth district, who is running for a fifth term unopposed. His numbers, however, are currently down after he leaves a vulgar voice message on a local family's phone about his recent sexual encounter and his affair with a supporter. In the meantime, corrupt business brothers, Glen (John Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Dan Aykroyd) convince local naive tour guide Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), who is loved by pretty much every person he runs into, to challenge Brady as the Republican candidate so that they can make illegal money off of a Chinese company. Marty agrees and Brady now has a race on his hands.
We then venture into the obligatory mud-slinging each side does and how their views have shaped their person overall. One of the most interesting subtle side characters I've seen in a long time is Jason Sudeikis's Mitch, Brady's "yes man" for everything, while Huggins is mainly coached by the pushy, uncompromising Tim Wattley, played viciously by Dylan McDermott.
When the mud-slinging goes underway, the jokes become hit or miss. Some instances stretch incredulity to unprecedented lengths, but I believe the reason behind it is to say something. Look where we've been in the political world in the last few years; the Clinton scandal, Obama's birth certificate, and if you want to get even more specific; the Anthony Weiner scandal which everyone loved to talk about a year ago, but now, it takes a minute for the name to ring a bell. Controversies have now been about anything and everything, and with that in mind, The Campaign doesn't seem so incredulous.
On another note, it's a shame the film doesn't dive into some true satire heights by taking shots at both Republicans and Democrats alike. It seems that if you are going to make a comedy centered around politics in the year 2012, you should try to take some shots at both political parties and go as far as you possibly can, but The Campaign's centrist view on the entire issue and the bigger picture is a bit underwhelming. Certainly both parties are flawed and equally arbitrary on the basis of their own terms and that alone could've inspired a film that was equal parts satire and relevant humor.
Regardless, this is certainly a better Ferrell-vehicle than Casa De Mi Padre or Old School several years back. I too feel people who aren't prepared to subject themselves to The Dictator's completely juvenile and limitless standards will seek this out as a means of easy-going fun. Ferrell immerses himself into the role of a goofy southerner effortlessly, and his fake accent is actually charming and tolerable throughout the film (perhaps I'm still grieving from Adam Sandler's in That's My Boy). Galifianakis perfectly suits his role, as well, and distinctively reminds me of Jack Black's Bernie Tiede in the tragically unseen comedy Bernie. This is a fun, tolerable comedy that doesn't rely too heavily on raunch and four letter words. A bit too much on animal abuse, but still mostly pleasing.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Katherine LaNasa, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd, and Brian Cox. Directed by: Jay Roach.
The plot concerns Democratic Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) of North Carolina's fourteenth district, who is running for a fifth term unopposed. His numbers, however, are currently down after he leaves a vulgar voice message on a local family's phone about his recent sexual encounter and his affair with a supporter. In the meantime, corrupt business brothers, Glen (John Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Dan Aykroyd) convince local naive tour guide Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), who is loved by pretty much every person he runs into, to challenge Brady as the Republican candidate so that they can make illegal money off of a Chinese company. Marty agrees and Brady now has a race on his hands.
We then venture into the obligatory mud-slinging each side does and how their views have shaped their person overall. One of the most interesting subtle side characters I've seen in a long time is Jason Sudeikis's Mitch, Brady's "yes man" for everything, while Huggins is mainly coached by the pushy, uncompromising Tim Wattley, played viciously by Dylan McDermott.
When the mud-slinging goes underway, the jokes become hit or miss. Some instances stretch incredulity to unprecedented lengths, but I believe the reason behind it is to say something. Look where we've been in the political world in the last few years; the Clinton scandal, Obama's birth certificate, and if you want to get even more specific; the Anthony Weiner scandal which everyone loved to talk about a year ago, but now, it takes a minute for the name to ring a bell. Controversies have now been about anything and everything, and with that in mind, The Campaign doesn't seem so incredulous.
On another note, it's a shame the film doesn't dive into some true satire heights by taking shots at both Republicans and Democrats alike. It seems that if you are going to make a comedy centered around politics in the year 2012, you should try to take some shots at both political parties and go as far as you possibly can, but The Campaign's centrist view on the entire issue and the bigger picture is a bit underwhelming. Certainly both parties are flawed and equally arbitrary on the basis of their own terms and that alone could've inspired a film that was equal parts satire and relevant humor.
Regardless, this is certainly a better Ferrell-vehicle than Casa De Mi Padre or Old School several years back. I too feel people who aren't prepared to subject themselves to The Dictator's completely juvenile and limitless standards will seek this out as a means of easy-going fun. Ferrell immerses himself into the role of a goofy southerner effortlessly, and his fake accent is actually charming and tolerable throughout the film (perhaps I'm still grieving from Adam Sandler's in That's My Boy). Galifianakis perfectly suits his role, as well, and distinctively reminds me of Jack Black's Bernie Tiede in the tragically unseen comedy Bernie. This is a fun, tolerable comedy that doesn't rely too heavily on raunch and four letter words. A bit too much on animal abuse, but still mostly pleasing.
Starring: Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis, Jason Sudeikis, Katherine LaNasa, Dylan McDermott, John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd, and Brian Cox. Directed by: Jay Roach.
An enjoyable comedy
Gordon-113 September 2013
This film is about a race between two congressman candidates in North Carolina.
"The Campaign" is a fun and light hearted mockery of modern American politics, but it is also surprisingly real in terms of what could possibly happen in a real election campaign. The plot is funny and really gets me laughing, but I am the most impressed by the emotional ending that conveys a victory to morality. Another thing that really stands out is the Asian maid who speaks with an amazing African and also Spanish accent.
I enjoyed watching this film!
"The Campaign" is a fun and light hearted mockery of modern American politics, but it is also surprisingly real in terms of what could possibly happen in a real election campaign. The plot is funny and really gets me laughing, but I am the most impressed by the emotional ending that conveys a victory to morality. Another thing that really stands out is the Asian maid who speaks with an amazing African and also Spanish accent.
I enjoyed watching this film!
Good easy watching comedy
tinohann5 November 2019
It tells the bizarre story of two insane candidates who are both running in the congressional race for the fourteenth district of North Carolina.
ciera-larose22 April 2013
"The Campaign" is your classic Will Ferral, Zack Galifianakis, over the top raunchy comedy. But in all honesty, I was actually quite let down with this one. I found the whole film to be really quite ridiculous.
The plot of this movie was far too unbelievable for me. It tells the bizarre story of two completely insane candidates at opposite extremes who are both running in the congressional race for the fourteenth district of North Carolina. The wacky antics that these two were up to during the election were just crazy; they were too far fetched and therefore diminished the value of the political satire effect that they were going for.
Both of the main characters were quite similar in the sense that they were both stupid and unoriginal. I firmly believe that poor Zack Galifianakis is officially type-cast and will have a very difficult time breaking away from the stupid and naive characters he's always forced to portray. Will Ferral was very vulgar and raunchy in this movie, something that he's used to playing as well. I really hope that these two actors can break their cycles soon because if that's the type of acting were going to be subjected to in every movie, I think I'll just stop paying attention to them. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of Jason Sudeikis. He did the best he could with what he was given. The role as a little out there and he had a lot to deal with but he handled it well. I will admit that he and Ferral did have some pretty good on screen chemistry.
To conclude, this movie could have and should have been a lot better. It had some big names hen it comes to the comedy genre -Ferral, Galifianakis and Sudeikis; so it should have been really funny. In my opinion, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of genuinely funny scenes that served as a few good laughs. But with names like these involved, there should have been far more. This film tried to be both a political satire and a goofy comedy but in reality became a muddled mess and fell short delivering on both accounts.
In my opinion, it's really not that funny so if you're looking for a good laugh, this is a film that you should steer clear of.
The plot of this movie was far too unbelievable for me. It tells the bizarre story of two completely insane candidates at opposite extremes who are both running in the congressional race for the fourteenth district of North Carolina. The wacky antics that these two were up to during the election were just crazy; they were too far fetched and therefore diminished the value of the political satire effect that they were going for.
Both of the main characters were quite similar in the sense that they were both stupid and unoriginal. I firmly believe that poor Zack Galifianakis is officially type-cast and will have a very difficult time breaking away from the stupid and naive characters he's always forced to portray. Will Ferral was very vulgar and raunchy in this movie, something that he's used to playing as well. I really hope that these two actors can break their cycles soon because if that's the type of acting were going to be subjected to in every movie, I think I'll just stop paying attention to them. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the acting of Jason Sudeikis. He did the best he could with what he was given. The role as a little out there and he had a lot to deal with but he handled it well. I will admit that he and Ferral did have some pretty good on screen chemistry.
To conclude, this movie could have and should have been a lot better. It had some big names hen it comes to the comedy genre -Ferral, Galifianakis and Sudeikis; so it should have been really funny. In my opinion, it wasn't. Don't get me wrong, there are a handful of genuinely funny scenes that served as a few good laughs. But with names like these involved, there should have been far more. This film tried to be both a political satire and a goofy comedy but in reality became a muddled mess and fell short delivering on both accounts.
In my opinion, it's really not that funny so if you're looking for a good laugh, this is a film that you should steer clear of.
The Campaign...2.5 out of 4 Skittles
FilmStallion6 September 2012
t seems like it should be easy to make a funny movie about the state of our political climate
.rich, greedy, corrupt people spending millions of dollars to make television ads that spread blatant lies to the uninformed voting public, but The Campaign ends up feeling a bit underwhelming of what could have been.
Screenwriters Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell only scratched the surface of the real life hilarity of the current political landscape. All they had to do was turn on any TV news channel and take note of the circus that current politics have become from former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to Weiner-Gate to well Sarah Palin, but for Chris Henchy, the writer of past stinkers Land of the Lost and The Other Guys, I guess that is what should be expected.
Will Ferrell (Step Brothers, Anchorman) and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover, Due Date) make a fine comedic duo, but their one-note characters leave these candidates without much to say. Ferrell ends up doing a less funny version of his George W. Bush impersonation. His iconic character was a slam-dunk on short SNL skits, but runs thin in a feature film.
The Campaign definitely provides its share of laughs that keep this film above average, but doesn't live up to other classic films produced by Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez production company I.E. Step Brothers, Anchorman, Talladega Nights. The Campaign may end up being one of the most profitable comedies of the 2012 blockbuster season, but compared against the other duds Hollywood barfed out this summer (The Watch, That's My Boy, The Dictator) that isn't saying too much.
For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com
Screenwriters Chris Henchy & Shawn Harwell only scratched the surface of the real life hilarity of the current political landscape. All they had to do was turn on any TV news channel and take note of the circus that current politics have become from former governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to Weiner-Gate to well Sarah Palin, but for Chris Henchy, the writer of past stinkers Land of the Lost and The Other Guys, I guess that is what should be expected.
Will Ferrell (Step Brothers, Anchorman) and Zach Galifianakis (The Hangover, Due Date) make a fine comedic duo, but their one-note characters leave these candidates without much to say. Ferrell ends up doing a less funny version of his George W. Bush impersonation. His iconic character was a slam-dunk on short SNL skits, but runs thin in a feature film.
The Campaign definitely provides its share of laughs that keep this film above average, but doesn't live up to other classic films produced by Ferrell and Adam McKay's Gary Sanchez production company I.E. Step Brothers, Anchorman, Talladega Nights. The Campaign may end up being one of the most profitable comedies of the 2012 blockbuster season, but compared against the other duds Hollywood barfed out this summer (The Watch, That's My Boy, The Dictator) that isn't saying too much.
For more quick reviews check out www.FilmStallion.com
a ridiculous and unfunny comedy trying to disguise itself as a satire
tbmforclasstsar11 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
There is a line, and not even a fine one, between satire and goofy comedies. Even in satirical films that have raunchy, campy, and over-exaggerated humor, the comedy is used to enhance the satire and make a stronger statement about the subject of the film. And at times it seems that The Campaign is trying its hardest to be a proper satire. But in the end, it is a conflicted and confused film with split personality disorder between political humor and a Will Ferrell comedy.
Co-Starring Ferrell (the comedian of yester-year) and Zach Galifianakis (who seemed to be the comedian of the now), The Campaign tells the ridiculous story of the congressional race in the 14th district of North Carolina between two very different politicians. Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a Congressman that has run unopposed for several years and plans on winning another easy election. But he is stunned when Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) comes out of nowhere to announce his candidacy for Congress. Huggins, the son of a rich political father, is brought on to defeat Brady by two political leaders known as the Motch Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) who believe Huggins is the goat they can use to bring cheap Chinese labor to the US.
Quickly, the campaigns turn from an honest race between two men to an all out war between two politicians that will do anything they can to win. And in a film that begins with a Ross Perot quote that says "War has rules, mud wrestling has rules politics has no rules," you can imagine the amount of ridiculous comedy two politicians played by Ferrell and Galifianakis get into.
And while I am sure there is a crowd that will find this film humorous, I rarely did. In an hour and forty minute comedy starring two big names like Ferrell and Galifianakis, I laughed maybe three times, two of which due to how bad the film was. Like I said at the beginning, there is a difference between satire and goofy this is off the wall ridiculous.
Cam Brady may be Ferrell's worst character ever. He is everything we have seen from Ferrell before regurgitated and stuffed into a $3,000 suit. He3 is dumb, crass, and completely unoriginal and uninspired. Sure, there is humor and making a statement about how dumb our politicians are and the extremes campaigns can go to, but having Cam Brady punch a baby in the face, then a dog in the face, and then use a sex tape as a political ad is not clever or funny it is flat out stupid. For anyone to watch it and have any moment of "Yeah, politicians really are dumb," is ridiculous, but seemingly something the writers and filmmakers were aiming at. There seems to be a necessity to make political statements about how dumb politicians are, how corrupt our government is, and the lengths everyone in politics will go to win a race, but it is within a stupid comedy that doesn't ever take itself seriously in its satire.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/the-campaign/
Co-Starring Ferrell (the comedian of yester-year) and Zach Galifianakis (who seemed to be the comedian of the now), The Campaign tells the ridiculous story of the congressional race in the 14th district of North Carolina between two very different politicians. Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a Congressman that has run unopposed for several years and plans on winning another easy election. But he is stunned when Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) comes out of nowhere to announce his candidacy for Congress. Huggins, the son of a rich political father, is brought on to defeat Brady by two political leaders known as the Motch Brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) who believe Huggins is the goat they can use to bring cheap Chinese labor to the US.
Quickly, the campaigns turn from an honest race between two men to an all out war between two politicians that will do anything they can to win. And in a film that begins with a Ross Perot quote that says "War has rules, mud wrestling has rules politics has no rules," you can imagine the amount of ridiculous comedy two politicians played by Ferrell and Galifianakis get into.
And while I am sure there is a crowd that will find this film humorous, I rarely did. In an hour and forty minute comedy starring two big names like Ferrell and Galifianakis, I laughed maybe three times, two of which due to how bad the film was. Like I said at the beginning, there is a difference between satire and goofy this is off the wall ridiculous.
Cam Brady may be Ferrell's worst character ever. He is everything we have seen from Ferrell before regurgitated and stuffed into a $3,000 suit. He3 is dumb, crass, and completely unoriginal and uninspired. Sure, there is humor and making a statement about how dumb our politicians are and the extremes campaigns can go to, but having Cam Brady punch a baby in the face, then a dog in the face, and then use a sex tape as a political ad is not clever or funny it is flat out stupid. For anyone to watch it and have any moment of "Yeah, politicians really are dumb," is ridiculous, but seemingly something the writers and filmmakers were aiming at. There seems to be a necessity to make political statements about how dumb politicians are, how corrupt our government is, and the lengths everyone in politics will go to win a race, but it is within a stupid comedy that doesn't ever take itself seriously in its satire.
To read the rest of the review (IMDb form too short) visit: http://custodianfilmcritic.com/the-campaign/
Ribald, funny, merciless fun at the expense of politicians and politics
steven-leibson4 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
A very, very funny movie that's very, very coarse. If you are not amused by jokes about sex, body parts and bodily functions, effeminate men, scantily-clad women, politics, and politicians then this isn't your movie. If you like that sort of thing, then you need to see this movie now. Light, fluffy entertainment. No thinking required (or desired). Good guys win. Bad guys either lose or are redeemed. I run hot and cold on Will Farrel movies. This one's a keeper for him but the real star of this movie is Zach Galifianakis who seems to replicate Jack Black's character in "Bernie" but with a completely different take. This movie will make you feel better about what's coming to American politics in the next three months.
A Nutshell Review: The Campaign
DICK STEEL1 September 2012
With the US Presidential Elections gaining traction and going into its final leg before the polls in November, it's probably natural that a comedy about American politics gets released into the cinemas to capitalize on election fever, as well as to lampoon the various strategies, and poke fun on the candidates who would be more than inclined to say the darnedest things that don't make too much sense, or to behave in a hypocritical manner, all of which are fodder to be made fun of.
Directed by Jay Roach, who is no stranger to those who enjoy the trilogy of Austin Powers films, The Campaign put two current funny men together, and watch them explode as they rib each other to shreds as part of the political hustings to garner more votes by discrediting the other. It's never more than just to share one's plans for the electorate when elected, or to reveal and convince them of one's programs, but to take the more interesting approach to character assassinate, and utilize the power of the media, and one's carefully built persona as perception for the voting public.
Comedy aside, this film lays down very real issues and problems with politics anywhere around the world, and that is more worrying, whether the right people are shunning serving the community, and the wrong people with the wrong motives seeking office instead, so as to further the reserves in their coffers, or that of their supporters with the tacit understanding that the interests of those who had backed one's campaign should be looked on favourably, with any meeting conducted to discuss these terms deemed never having been convened. Corporations are also seen as shady organizations when they contribute to campaign funds, and in truth with money talking these days, can make or hurt politicians chances by playing up or down their capabilities or screw ups. It's been some time seeing Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow on screen, and here they play unscrupulous businessmen who are looking at in- sourcing and exploitation of cheap labour, selling out their state/country once they have their preferred candidate occupy office.
As you would have learnt from the trailer, The Campaign pits Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two politicians getting at each others throats from the get go. For the former, as Democratic incumbent Cam Brady, unopposed for the most parts of his career given walkovers, his seeking office probably had to do with the satiation of his sexual desires, with a major boo boo involving a dirty message left on someone else's answering machine doing him in. As for Galifianakos' Marty Huggins, he got plucked out of obscurity just because he happens to be the son of a well known, but retired politician, and got thrust into the limelight having sold the idea of doing his father proud, and to lend a hand doing something worthwhile for society.
So it's a fight that's filled with plenty of dirty tricks, mostly centered around character assassination from both camps in tit for tat fashion, providing ammunition for its comedic scenes. The gloves are off in a no holds barred, winner takes all competition that has absolutely no rules, with either side eager to jump on discrediting the opposition camp. And the campaign managers, played by Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott who belong to the Cam Brady and Marty Huggins camps respectively, are hugely responsible for that. The last film seen with campaign managers playing a big part is in George Clooney's Ides of March, with almost the same level of seriousness and intensity seen in The Campaign, especially Dylan McDermott's Tim Wattley who has to build Marty's popularity from scratch, and create a credible candidate out of a dim wit.
For those who appreciate the other Jay Roach comedies, expect the usual toilet humour, and plenty of f-bombs creeping their way into the film. Will Ferrell is also at his element here as the politician who cannot stand losing, blessed with a trophy family, and his pairing with Galifianakis proved to be successful, especially during scenes which they share and have to go one up against the other. Galifianakis continues in his usual roles as none too bright characters having a ball of a time, and here his story arc provided for a little bit of a melodrama, which I thought was a nice touch and a break from the comedy, serving as reminder that family matters, and should take priority rather than being shelved aside for ambition. Or worse, to pretend to lead a lifestyle just because it has the consensus of the majority.
The Campaign runs at a very light 85 minutes, although it did feel a little longer than that, especially in the final few scenes that dwelled into back stories built up to provide a little bit more character motivation and common history. Still, it's entertaining, funny for the most parts, and relevant, and if we don't have much power to change the rot at the polls, the least we can do is to laugh at it. Which is certainly more fun by the way.
Directed by Jay Roach, who is no stranger to those who enjoy the trilogy of Austin Powers films, The Campaign put two current funny men together, and watch them explode as they rib each other to shreds as part of the political hustings to garner more votes by discrediting the other. It's never more than just to share one's plans for the electorate when elected, or to reveal and convince them of one's programs, but to take the more interesting approach to character assassinate, and utilize the power of the media, and one's carefully built persona as perception for the voting public.
Comedy aside, this film lays down very real issues and problems with politics anywhere around the world, and that is more worrying, whether the right people are shunning serving the community, and the wrong people with the wrong motives seeking office instead, so as to further the reserves in their coffers, or that of their supporters with the tacit understanding that the interests of those who had backed one's campaign should be looked on favourably, with any meeting conducted to discuss these terms deemed never having been convened. Corporations are also seen as shady organizations when they contribute to campaign funds, and in truth with money talking these days, can make or hurt politicians chances by playing up or down their capabilities or screw ups. It's been some time seeing Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow on screen, and here they play unscrupulous businessmen who are looking at in- sourcing and exploitation of cheap labour, selling out their state/country once they have their preferred candidate occupy office.
As you would have learnt from the trailer, The Campaign pits Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two politicians getting at each others throats from the get go. For the former, as Democratic incumbent Cam Brady, unopposed for the most parts of his career given walkovers, his seeking office probably had to do with the satiation of his sexual desires, with a major boo boo involving a dirty message left on someone else's answering machine doing him in. As for Galifianakos' Marty Huggins, he got plucked out of obscurity just because he happens to be the son of a well known, but retired politician, and got thrust into the limelight having sold the idea of doing his father proud, and to lend a hand doing something worthwhile for society.
So it's a fight that's filled with plenty of dirty tricks, mostly centered around character assassination from both camps in tit for tat fashion, providing ammunition for its comedic scenes. The gloves are off in a no holds barred, winner takes all competition that has absolutely no rules, with either side eager to jump on discrediting the opposition camp. And the campaign managers, played by Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott who belong to the Cam Brady and Marty Huggins camps respectively, are hugely responsible for that. The last film seen with campaign managers playing a big part is in George Clooney's Ides of March, with almost the same level of seriousness and intensity seen in The Campaign, especially Dylan McDermott's Tim Wattley who has to build Marty's popularity from scratch, and create a credible candidate out of a dim wit.
For those who appreciate the other Jay Roach comedies, expect the usual toilet humour, and plenty of f-bombs creeping their way into the film. Will Ferrell is also at his element here as the politician who cannot stand losing, blessed with a trophy family, and his pairing with Galifianakis proved to be successful, especially during scenes which they share and have to go one up against the other. Galifianakis continues in his usual roles as none too bright characters having a ball of a time, and here his story arc provided for a little bit of a melodrama, which I thought was a nice touch and a break from the comedy, serving as reminder that family matters, and should take priority rather than being shelved aside for ambition. Or worse, to pretend to lead a lifestyle just because it has the consensus of the majority.
The Campaign runs at a very light 85 minutes, although it did feel a little longer than that, especially in the final few scenes that dwelled into back stories built up to provide a little bit more character motivation and common history. Still, it's entertaining, funny for the most parts, and relevant, and if we don't have much power to change the rot at the polls, the least we can do is to laugh at it. Which is certainly more fun by the way.
One Trick Pony Ferrel- no rosette!
TheMightyHodgeheg2 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I confess I am not a huge Will Ferrel fan although I find him watch-able in films which don't completely revolve around him. This was not one of them. I thought I'd give it a go as I love political satire but this was just a really poor display of watered down, repetitive slapstick full of stereotypical characters and scenarios.
To its credit the plot accurately conveyed the joke that is American politics, particularly how it is big business and back handers that are really pulling the strings and making all the big decisions and the typical overplaying of 'family values' and every politicians close personal friend Jesus H Christ, in their campaigns. The sheep voters of course were all too happy to lap it all up and sway their opinion based on the lame speeches and false promises of the candidates.
It was all supposed to be tongue in cheek and satirical but in reality it was just depressing and patronising. I don't need my comedy to be intelligent by any means but the whole thing was just appalling. Honestly I laughed a total of 3 times. Once was at a baby being punched in the face.
It really is just Will Ferrel playing his usual 'I'm an egotistical, air head, a-hole' character, with a slightly different hairstyle. I preferred the guy who played his opponent (Zach Galifianakis), both character wise and performance wise.
One thing that really bugged me about this film was the way that the women were represented. Yes politics is a male dominated environment but apart from a few mute women extras there was only one female who really had more than a few lines and being Asian they were all pretty much jokes about racial stereotyping and she was a maid. The rest of the females were there as sex objects basically. The usual blonde bimbo 'Lewinsky' character, another who was walking around with her nipple accidentally showing, the hot little, supportive wife who actually turns out to be a power hungry, gold digging, cold hearted cow. At one point Will's character seduces the oppositions wife just to smear his character and campaign and of course she is warm hearted and naive so had to be chubby and therefore grateful for his sleaze. Oh and they had one black male speaking part and it was only a couple of lines and he was technically mixed race, in a film set in North Carolina? Yeah okay so a dumb comedy doesn't have a duty or responsibility to represent society accurately but it makes it very clear who this movie is aimed at.
This is jock humour, strictly for Ferrel devotees and I had hoped for more. He really is a one trick pony! Watch the trailer and then move on with your life. Because those are the only good scenes in the whole movie, condensed into a few seconds.
To its credit the plot accurately conveyed the joke that is American politics, particularly how it is big business and back handers that are really pulling the strings and making all the big decisions and the typical overplaying of 'family values' and every politicians close personal friend Jesus H Christ, in their campaigns. The sheep voters of course were all too happy to lap it all up and sway their opinion based on the lame speeches and false promises of the candidates.
It was all supposed to be tongue in cheek and satirical but in reality it was just depressing and patronising. I don't need my comedy to be intelligent by any means but the whole thing was just appalling. Honestly I laughed a total of 3 times. Once was at a baby being punched in the face.
It really is just Will Ferrel playing his usual 'I'm an egotistical, air head, a-hole' character, with a slightly different hairstyle. I preferred the guy who played his opponent (Zach Galifianakis), both character wise and performance wise.
One thing that really bugged me about this film was the way that the women were represented. Yes politics is a male dominated environment but apart from a few mute women extras there was only one female who really had more than a few lines and being Asian they were all pretty much jokes about racial stereotyping and she was a maid. The rest of the females were there as sex objects basically. The usual blonde bimbo 'Lewinsky' character, another who was walking around with her nipple accidentally showing, the hot little, supportive wife who actually turns out to be a power hungry, gold digging, cold hearted cow. At one point Will's character seduces the oppositions wife just to smear his character and campaign and of course she is warm hearted and naive so had to be chubby and therefore grateful for his sleaze. Oh and they had one black male speaking part and it was only a couple of lines and he was technically mixed race, in a film set in North Carolina? Yeah okay so a dumb comedy doesn't have a duty or responsibility to represent society accurately but it makes it very clear who this movie is aimed at.
This is jock humour, strictly for Ferrel devotees and I had hoped for more. He really is a one trick pony! Watch the trailer and then move on with your life. Because those are the only good scenes in the whole movie, condensed into a few seconds.
Brilliant
jason31-321-90474411 October 2012
10/10 for comedy for me and I love the way they have pulled no punches at taking the Michael out of US politicians. Ferrell is at his funniest here but it's Galifianakis that steals every scene he is simply hilarious in this movie. For me ferrell is just doing a good impression of Bush JR in this movie haha and spot on he is too. Showing how dumb the voters are is genius and how corrupt the system is, The actors must of been willing to do this movie for free! I doubt many Americans would even see this but oh so obvious to us UK viewers. This is Ferrells second funniest movie behind Step Brothers so if you enjoyed that very silly movie but ultimately hilarious then make sure to watch this too.
Galifianakis and Ferrell a winning team
cadillac2010 August 2012
The Campaign seems to be the underdog this weekend, the lesser of the two films coming out, with Bourne Legacy being the leading contender. However, I must say that The Campaign is quite worthy as it's one of the funnier films this year so far. Galifianakis and Ferrell are hilarious, with Zach truly shining in a role that goes somewhat against his usual. Both stars, however, let their comedic talents shine, as does who hasn't made a film this funny since Meet The Parents. It's a surprise hit, and contains both plenty of political lampooning and crude material to please even the least political of comedy watchers.
Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a slimy politician who has run unopposed as North Carolina's representative for five elections. However, when controversy strikes Cam's campaign and his popularity drops, the influential Motch Brothers (in a parody of the vilified Koch Brothers), with an agenda of their own, look for someone to run against Cam and find Galifianakis' Marty Huggins as their sucker. Thus begins a battle between the awkward Huggins and the smarmy Brady to win the election.
Ferrell does what he does best here and plays up his role to hysterics. There's plenty of outrageous behavior here and freaking out. If you're not a fan of Ferrell, then you probably won't like this role either, as it's much the same. Galifianakis is much the opposite, a bit of a straight man who comes off as somewhat socially inept and awkward, although his heart is certainly in the right place. The two bounce off each other wonderfully and the comedy is absolutely hilarious. They are surrounded by a fantastic comedic cast, including Brian Cox, John Lithgow, and Dan Akroyd, who are all very funny in their respective roles.
The acting is certainly great, but it would be nothing without a great script, and this is surprisingly good. It's not as high brow or biting as you might expect a political satire to be, but it makes no qualms about pointing fingers and laughing at the ridiculousness of many elements within politics. Most of the satire is pretty ridiculous, from a pornographic PAC ad to several confessions by Higgins family. But it's all very funny and reaches into the sentiments of how most American's view the political landscape right now. Thankfully, the trailers didn't reveal even the funniest parts of the film, and I have to admit I laughed consistently throughout.
Certainly, it's not a perfect comedy and doesn't take the place of my favorite comedy of the year so far (that would be 21 Jump Street). The middle begins to lose a little steam and the satire loses a bit of it's laugh out loud appeal. This is partly due to the fact that both Galifianakis and Ferrell don't entirely retain their ability to carry the comedy. But it's very minor, as they more often that not do carry the entire film and do a very good job of it. With a balance between crass, shocking humor and smart, yet simple, political satire, The Campaign accomplishes it's goal of being very funny.
Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a slimy politician who has run unopposed as North Carolina's representative for five elections. However, when controversy strikes Cam's campaign and his popularity drops, the influential Motch Brothers (in a parody of the vilified Koch Brothers), with an agenda of their own, look for someone to run against Cam and find Galifianakis' Marty Huggins as their sucker. Thus begins a battle between the awkward Huggins and the smarmy Brady to win the election.
Ferrell does what he does best here and plays up his role to hysterics. There's plenty of outrageous behavior here and freaking out. If you're not a fan of Ferrell, then you probably won't like this role either, as it's much the same. Galifianakis is much the opposite, a bit of a straight man who comes off as somewhat socially inept and awkward, although his heart is certainly in the right place. The two bounce off each other wonderfully and the comedy is absolutely hilarious. They are surrounded by a fantastic comedic cast, including Brian Cox, John Lithgow, and Dan Akroyd, who are all very funny in their respective roles.
The acting is certainly great, but it would be nothing without a great script, and this is surprisingly good. It's not as high brow or biting as you might expect a political satire to be, but it makes no qualms about pointing fingers and laughing at the ridiculousness of many elements within politics. Most of the satire is pretty ridiculous, from a pornographic PAC ad to several confessions by Higgins family. But it's all very funny and reaches into the sentiments of how most American's view the political landscape right now. Thankfully, the trailers didn't reveal even the funniest parts of the film, and I have to admit I laughed consistently throughout.
Certainly, it's not a perfect comedy and doesn't take the place of my favorite comedy of the year so far (that would be 21 Jump Street). The middle begins to lose a little steam and the satire loses a bit of it's laugh out loud appeal. This is partly due to the fact that both Galifianakis and Ferrell don't entirely retain their ability to carry the comedy. But it's very minor, as they more often that not do carry the entire film and do a very good job of it. With a balance between crass, shocking humor and smart, yet simple, political satire, The Campaign accomplishes it's goal of being very funny.
Good, if not great
zetes12 August 2012
A decent comedy featuring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two men running for Congressman of a South Carolina district. Ferrell is the incumbent, a Democrat who is at first running unopposed, but when he is exposed as a sex fiend, two powerful industrialists (Dan Akroyd and John Lithgow, playing the Motch Brothers, parodying the notorious Koch Brothers, who have stupidly bitched about the movie in the media) decide to throw a bunch of money at a Republican opponent. The only person they can find is Zach Galifianakis, a goofy guy with a very normal family and a couple of pugs with which he's obsessed. Things get nasty pretty quickly as Ferrell spies his opponent's weaknesses, and the Motch Brothers respond in kind by sending an evil campaign runner (Dylan McDermott) to groom Galifianakis in dirty politics. This film starts off pretty well, with some huge laughs (particularly the scene where Galifianakis' family admits all the dirty secrets they've been hiding from him), but after a while it kind of fades. It's always pretty funny, but it's almost never hilarious in the latter half. It seems to want to be a biting satire, but it's really not saying anything truly daring, so that never gets off the ground. Ferrell and Galifianakis both give very good performances, but about the only other actor to score any laughs is McDermott. Jason Sudeikis plays Will Ferrell's campaign runner, but has little to do. Lithgow and Akroyd seem like a waste, too, and one wonders why they bothered to hire Brian Cox as Galifianakis' dad (he does have one good scene near the beginning. I did like Karen Maruyama as Cox's Asian maid, whom he pays $50 a day extra to talk like an old-timey black woman. And Sarah Baker is pretty good as Galifianakis' wife. All in all, I did like the film, but I could have waited for video.
Black Comedy.
rmax3048236 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
It's hard to evaluate a film like this because its -- well, its variance is so great. Did I laugh out loud at some of the gags? Yes. Did I wince at others? You bet.
What's more, this isn't really a movie about mud slinging during a campaign but it's more than that, almost a satire of American political values, or American values in general. When you ridicule the electoral process of the nation, you ridicule everyone who participates in it. And when you ridicule everyone, you ridicule the society that they've formed.
Will Ferrell, who made me chuckle here for the first time, is a four-time Representative from a congressional district in North Carolina, comfortable in his numb, dumb skin. He speaks in platitudes and does all the other things that congressman are presumed to do. He's funded by, and compliant to the wishes of, John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd, the "Motch brothers." The Motch brothers are quite a pair. They'll stop at nothing to advance their interests. They've already implemented the first part of their plan. They've bought up a tremendous amount of acreage in a rural area and then sold it to the Chinese at an enormous profit. Next, they will cooperate with the Chinese in building a large red factory, once Ferrell gets those nettlesome EPA regulations out of the way, and bring in Chinese workers at fifty cents an hour. They will call it "insourcing." That's a pretty clever fantasy, and there are more gags like it. Ferrell's opponent is Zach Galifianakis, a naive Southrin schlub who manages to collect all the documents needed to run against Ferrell, who is a shoe-in.
What follows may not be what you'd expect. The contest between the idealistic schlub and the arrogant professional politician doesn't gradually devolve into mud slinging. As in real life, it BEGINS with dirt. Ferrell's campaign runs an attack ad showing a photo-shopped picture of Saddam Hussein with mustache, black beret, shades, and uniform. As the voice-over lambastes Galifianakis, the items are whipped away from the image, one by one, until Galifianakis' face appears. They have the mustache in common, as the voice-over points out.
When his candidacy is about to be taken seriously, Galifianakis queries his wife and two children over the dinner table. They are going to receive intense scrutiny from the media and he wants to know if there are any secrets they've been hiding, any skeletons in their closets that might damage his campaign. Their initial innocent confessions grow into the most abhorrent abominations.
But then there is a certain amount of silliness, not so much in the dialog but in the slapstick scenes, such as the one in which a desperate Ferrell is courting the vote of a snake-handling cult and is bitten by a rattlesnake. The psychedelic effects aren't amusing, but a later glimpse of his forearm, purple and swollen to the size of Popeye's, is.
The happy ending seems grafted on to a much more effective story. The writers and director should have gone the "Dr. Strangelove" route and lived with the consequences of what they've already demonstrated. It also seems rushed at time, but it's still pretty amusing.
What's more, this isn't really a movie about mud slinging during a campaign but it's more than that, almost a satire of American political values, or American values in general. When you ridicule the electoral process of the nation, you ridicule everyone who participates in it. And when you ridicule everyone, you ridicule the society that they've formed.
Will Ferrell, who made me chuckle here for the first time, is a four-time Representative from a congressional district in North Carolina, comfortable in his numb, dumb skin. He speaks in platitudes and does all the other things that congressman are presumed to do. He's funded by, and compliant to the wishes of, John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd, the "Motch brothers." The Motch brothers are quite a pair. They'll stop at nothing to advance their interests. They've already implemented the first part of their plan. They've bought up a tremendous amount of acreage in a rural area and then sold it to the Chinese at an enormous profit. Next, they will cooperate with the Chinese in building a large red factory, once Ferrell gets those nettlesome EPA regulations out of the way, and bring in Chinese workers at fifty cents an hour. They will call it "insourcing." That's a pretty clever fantasy, and there are more gags like it. Ferrell's opponent is Zach Galifianakis, a naive Southrin schlub who manages to collect all the documents needed to run against Ferrell, who is a shoe-in.
What follows may not be what you'd expect. The contest between the idealistic schlub and the arrogant professional politician doesn't gradually devolve into mud slinging. As in real life, it BEGINS with dirt. Ferrell's campaign runs an attack ad showing a photo-shopped picture of Saddam Hussein with mustache, black beret, shades, and uniform. As the voice-over lambastes Galifianakis, the items are whipped away from the image, one by one, until Galifianakis' face appears. They have the mustache in common, as the voice-over points out.
When his candidacy is about to be taken seriously, Galifianakis queries his wife and two children over the dinner table. They are going to receive intense scrutiny from the media and he wants to know if there are any secrets they've been hiding, any skeletons in their closets that might damage his campaign. Their initial innocent confessions grow into the most abhorrent abominations.
But then there is a certain amount of silliness, not so much in the dialog but in the slapstick scenes, such as the one in which a desperate Ferrell is courting the vote of a snake-handling cult and is bitten by a rattlesnake. The psychedelic effects aren't amusing, but a later glimpse of his forearm, purple and swollen to the size of Popeye's, is.
The happy ending seems grafted on to a much more effective story. The writers and director should have gone the "Dr. Strangelove" route and lived with the consequences of what they've already demonstrated. It also seems rushed at time, but it's still pretty amusing.
Gets my vote.
Quietb-115 August 2012
Warning: Spoilers
"The Campaign" unlike many politicians delivers what it promises. It's a comedy and it delivers laughs. It's a tight 85 minutes. The language may be too rough so don't take your mom.
The leads are good together and the supporting cast including the "well knowns" is a pleasant surprise. Even the dogs are funny. While the trailers showed the set-up there is plenty of new material in the movie.
It will not make classic satire status but it does entertain. There's a brief scene during the credits, but no out-takes that must be somewhere and must be funny; perhaps they will be added to the DVD release.
The leads are good together and the supporting cast including the "well knowns" is a pleasant surprise. Even the dogs are funny. While the trailers showed the set-up there is plenty of new material in the movie.
It will not make classic satire status but it does entertain. There's a brief scene during the credits, but no out-takes that must be somewhere and must be funny; perhaps they will be added to the DVD release.
Should have just walked out...
Rebeccamshaver10 August 2012
This was a wasted opportunity. Will Farrell has brought forth some great humor in movies with an added message of truth. However, this time the mark was missed. 'Politics as usual,' was a great start for a box office hit, especially in an election year, and this held all the ideas to make it happen. It could have been gut-busting hilarious, but the execution of film making was drastically short for the plot's potential and casted talent.
While there were some very good laughs, the rampant smut quickly wicked a lot of laughter from the theater. The pull to 'look away' distracted and overcame the anticipation for the next chuckle. Comedies should make us laugh, and perhaps think about the topics and subjects being mocked. It is even a useful venue for starting discussions on otherwise untouchable issues like politics, religion, sex, and divorce. The presentation of irony, sarcasm and good writing for a memorable classic were all but entirely replaced with empty, humiliating smut. The actors and makers took an easy out for a quick buck instead of delivering what movie-goers expect and deserve. If we pay them, they should deliver. Now I can't get my money or time back and I have encouraged the junk effort to continue. It's like celebrity welfare.
When we buy a ticket or product for an advertisement we view on TV, we should get what we were shown. The Compaign left viewers obviously disappointed and thirsting for the comedies we can recommend to anyone and everyone, as well as to stock the home DVD rack.
While there were some very good laughs, the rampant smut quickly wicked a lot of laughter from the theater. The pull to 'look away' distracted and overcame the anticipation for the next chuckle. Comedies should make us laugh, and perhaps think about the topics and subjects being mocked. It is even a useful venue for starting discussions on otherwise untouchable issues like politics, religion, sex, and divorce. The presentation of irony, sarcasm and good writing for a memorable classic were all but entirely replaced with empty, humiliating smut. The actors and makers took an easy out for a quick buck instead of delivering what movie-goers expect and deserve. If we pay them, they should deliver. Now I can't get my money or time back and I have encouraged the junk effort to continue. It's like celebrity welfare.
When we buy a ticket or product for an advertisement we view on TV, we should get what we were shown. The Compaign left viewers obviously disappointed and thirsting for the comedies we can recommend to anyone and everyone, as well as to stock the home DVD rack.
The dark art of politics
freemantle_uk5 October 2012
It is election year in the United States where the President, the whole of the House of Representatives and a third of the Senate stand for election. American politics is notorious for being very bitter and negative: so it seems like a fair target for a comedy.
Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is a four term Democratic representative of the 14th district of North Carolina, based around the city of Hampton. He is running unopposed for the seat but he is in trouble after he accidentally leaves a sexually explicit message on a born-again Christian family's answering machine. His backers, the industrialists the Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) decides that Cam is a dud and set out to find a someone to run against him. They find the nice, but naïve and weird Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) to run as a Republican. The campaign quickly descends into false accusations, personal attacks and physical violence. But the Motch brothers have their own dastardly plan for Hampton.
The Campaign is a hit and miss comedy, but it is mostly hit. Ferrell is the best comic performer out of the pair but both comic leads have their moments. The jokes vary from verbal, crude and swearing based, Ferrell's trademarked adlibbing and physical: the biggest laugh in the audience I was in was when the baby got punched in the face. As a political satire this is a film that lacks subtly, but to anyone who is interested in American politics you can easily see the references to negative campaigning, making false accusations that someone is a communist/socialist or an Islamic terrorist just through implication, how candidates just use any rhetoric to get elected without actually having any ideas or policies and how political campaign teams think more about image then they do about doing what they think is best for the district and the country. I personally thought the film missed a trick because I think the filmmakers should not have mentioned the political parties the candidates represented and so you could not tell them apart.
The Campaign runs at a brisk 85 minutes, but near the end the film felt like it running out of steam, both story and jokes wise, near the end. The writing was not smart enough when it could have been more ambitious with its satire.
It is still an enjoyable enough film for people who are fans of Will Ferrell and it is at least worth a rental.
Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is a four term Democratic representative of the 14th district of North Carolina, based around the city of Hampton. He is running unopposed for the seat but he is in trouble after he accidentally leaves a sexually explicit message on a born-again Christian family's answering machine. His backers, the industrialists the Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) decides that Cam is a dud and set out to find a someone to run against him. They find the nice, but naïve and weird Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) to run as a Republican. The campaign quickly descends into false accusations, personal attacks and physical violence. But the Motch brothers have their own dastardly plan for Hampton.
The Campaign is a hit and miss comedy, but it is mostly hit. Ferrell is the best comic performer out of the pair but both comic leads have their moments. The jokes vary from verbal, crude and swearing based, Ferrell's trademarked adlibbing and physical: the biggest laugh in the audience I was in was when the baby got punched in the face. As a political satire this is a film that lacks subtly, but to anyone who is interested in American politics you can easily see the references to negative campaigning, making false accusations that someone is a communist/socialist or an Islamic terrorist just through implication, how candidates just use any rhetoric to get elected without actually having any ideas or policies and how political campaign teams think more about image then they do about doing what they think is best for the district and the country. I personally thought the film missed a trick because I think the filmmakers should not have mentioned the political parties the candidates represented and so you could not tell them apart.
The Campaign runs at a brisk 85 minutes, but near the end the film felt like it running out of steam, both story and jokes wise, near the end. The writing was not smart enough when it could have been more ambitious with its satire.
It is still an enjoyable enough film for people who are fans of Will Ferrell and it is at least worth a rental.
Downright unfunny.
Troy_Campbell9 August 2012
I'm not sure where to start. I'll go back to the beginning. One fine Thursday night I was settling down to watch Ted on the big screen, when on came a trailer for The Campaign. I chuckled a few times and was confident that further hilarity would ensue in the actual feature. All signs were promising. All signs were wrong, dead wrong. This crude political satire is neither witty nor biting, but most awful of all, it's downright unfunny. In what gets earmarked as 2012's biggest disappointment (so far), the potentially side-splitting combination of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis is yawn-inducing at best, cringe-worthy at worst; neither comedian walking away with a solitary laugh. Of all people it's Dylan McDermott that gets a couple of amusing moments, his shady and ruthless campaign manager a welcome respite from the embarrassing blandness of the leads and other co-stars John Lithgow, Dan Aykroyd and Brian Cox. The campaign slogan for Galifianakis' bumbling Marty Huggins sums this film up most accurately: "It's a mess".
Crude and stupid....and most enjoyable.
planktonrules16 September 2021
"The Campaign" is not a film to show your kids, your mother or Father O'Malley if he stops by for the evening. Why? Because the film is incredibly crude and despite no nudity and only a little bit of violence (such as when a baby and Uggie the dog are punched in the face), it earns its R rating because it is so crude. All that being said, it is still a very enjoyable film...and worth seeing. Just don't tell others, because they might think less of you.
The film is about a fictional congressional election between a dumb, sleazy womanizing incumbent (Will Ferrell) and a dumb, not as sleazy and very effeminate newbie (Zach Galifianakis). As the campaign progresses, the rhetoric between the pair becomes more and more sleazy and awful...to the point where it's simply ludicrous late in the story. Who will win and what about those rich jerks pulling the strings in this election?
As I mentioned above, the film is very crude and adult....watch it at your own risk. But it also is funny and offers some interesting insights into American politics.
The film is about a fictional congressional election between a dumb, sleazy womanizing incumbent (Will Ferrell) and a dumb, not as sleazy and very effeminate newbie (Zach Galifianakis). As the campaign progresses, the rhetoric between the pair becomes more and more sleazy and awful...to the point where it's simply ludicrous late in the story. Who will win and what about those rich jerks pulling the strings in this election?
As I mentioned above, the film is very crude and adult....watch it at your own risk. But it also is funny and offers some interesting insights into American politics.
Hopefully viewers who are fence sitters or leaning to the right might learn some valuable lessons from the film (one can hope).
Hellmant22 August 2012
'THE CAMPAIGN': Three and a Half Stars (Out of Five)
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis combine forces for this political satire attempting to throw some comedic commentary at audiences this election season. Ferrell plays a North Carolina congressman running for his 5th term unopposed when two corrupt businessmen try to unseat him by pitting him against a naive tourism director who always had dreams of a career in politics, played by Galifianakis. The film was directed by Jay Roach (director of all three 'AUSTIN POWERS' films and the first two of the 'MEET THE PARENTS' franchise) and written by Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell (one of the writers of the TV series 'EASTBOUND & DOWN'). It was produced by Ferrell, Roach, Galifianakis and Adam McKay and co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow, Brian Cox and Dylan McDermott. The film is funny for the most part and does have some on target political commentary. Not as classic as some of Ferrell's greatest comedies but one of his better ones for sure.
Ferrell plays Democratic Congressman Cam Brady, who as the film opens is getting ready to secure his fifth term in North Carolina's 14th District unopposed. A sex scandal hurts his popularity though and two greedy businessmen named Glen (Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Aykroyd) see an opportunity to unseat him and put a naive tourism director, named Marty Huggins (Zak Galifianakis), in his place to do their bidding for them (which involves illegal business with Chinese corporations). What starts out as a friendly campaign duel turns in to a heated battle very quickly with all the name calling and ugly accusations you'd expect from a big time political election. This causes havoc on both the men's private lives including heavy drama with their families.
The movie's jokes are somewhat hit-and-miss but for the most part work. They're vulgar but not overly dumbed down; neither Ferrell nor Galifianakis ever break character or overact (like what often happens in comedy satires like these). The film is of course supposed to be funny and lighthearted but the messages of the story are very serious and clear. The Motch brothers are obviously an intended diss at corrupt businessmen Charles and David Kotch (who Galiafanakis recently annoyed by calling creepy). Hopefully viewers who are fence sitters or leaning to the right might learn some valuable lessons from the film (one can hope). This is where the film's greatest strengths lie but it is pretty funny as well.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vhN3UBteY
Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis combine forces for this political satire attempting to throw some comedic commentary at audiences this election season. Ferrell plays a North Carolina congressman running for his 5th term unopposed when two corrupt businessmen try to unseat him by pitting him against a naive tourism director who always had dreams of a career in politics, played by Galifianakis. The film was directed by Jay Roach (director of all three 'AUSTIN POWERS' films and the first two of the 'MEET THE PARENTS' franchise) and written by Chris Henchy and Shawn Harwell (one of the writers of the TV series 'EASTBOUND & DOWN'). It was produced by Ferrell, Roach, Galifianakis and Adam McKay and co-stars Jason Sudeikis, Dan Aykroyd, John Lithgow, Brian Cox and Dylan McDermott. The film is funny for the most part and does have some on target political commentary. Not as classic as some of Ferrell's greatest comedies but one of his better ones for sure.
Ferrell plays Democratic Congressman Cam Brady, who as the film opens is getting ready to secure his fifth term in North Carolina's 14th District unopposed. A sex scandal hurts his popularity though and two greedy businessmen named Glen (Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Aykroyd) see an opportunity to unseat him and put a naive tourism director, named Marty Huggins (Zak Galifianakis), in his place to do their bidding for them (which involves illegal business with Chinese corporations). What starts out as a friendly campaign duel turns in to a heated battle very quickly with all the name calling and ugly accusations you'd expect from a big time political election. This causes havoc on both the men's private lives including heavy drama with their families.
The movie's jokes are somewhat hit-and-miss but for the most part work. They're vulgar but not overly dumbed down; neither Ferrell nor Galifianakis ever break character or overact (like what often happens in comedy satires like these). The film is of course supposed to be funny and lighthearted but the messages of the story are very serious and clear. The Motch brothers are obviously an intended diss at corrupt businessmen Charles and David Kotch (who Galiafanakis recently annoyed by calling creepy). Hopefully viewers who are fence sitters or leaning to the right might learn some valuable lessons from the film (one can hope). This is where the film's greatest strengths lie but it is pretty funny as well.
Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2vhN3UBteY
A lack of Art and a Lot of Quasi-porn
carpedtm15 September 2012
The film had a chance to be a thoughtful satire on the societal impact of money on politics and issues such as the outsourcing of American jobs, not to mention the growing separation between the political class and the public.
It settled for a host of clichés.
Instead, it contented itself in pandering to elite prejudices. Christians and Southerners are ignorant, and they are hypocrites. Their children, are even more ignorant and more perverse.
MSNBC and CNN make cameo appearances lending their support to these notions.
The language is unnecessarily crude,lewd and indecent. I am no prude, but this film often seemed just a lot of tasteless potty talk masquerading as humor.
Too bad. There are one or two clever skits. Net Net: Don't waste your money. I was once a Democrat. Later a Republican, still conservative with a small "c." I am a registered independent.
It settled for a host of clichés.
Instead, it contented itself in pandering to elite prejudices. Christians and Southerners are ignorant, and they are hypocrites. Their children, are even more ignorant and more perverse.
MSNBC and CNN make cameo appearances lending their support to these notions.
The language is unnecessarily crude,lewd and indecent. I am no prude, but this film often seemed just a lot of tasteless potty talk masquerading as humor.
Too bad. There are one or two clever skits. Net Net: Don't waste your money. I was once a Democrat. Later a Republican, still conservative with a small "c." I am a registered independent.
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