Will Ferrell just doesn’t “get it”. Humour is one of the hardest things to get right, and the best are those who have a natural ability to just understand what makes something funny, why, and how to do it right. And Ferrell hasn’t got the first clue. Silly voices and mugging for the camera aren’t enough.
Admittedly, people like Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, and Mike Myers also do silly voices and mug for the camera, but they DO get it. Somehow they have discovered and absorbed the key to comedy and know just how to express it at the right level. Admittedly there are many people who dislike their styles, but that doesn’t deny their abilities.
Will Ferrell seems to appeal to the kind of people who also think good acting is being deliberate and stilted. Well, that’s how I see it, anyway.
I’m going to admit that Anchorman didn’t really live up to my hopes and that it’s hit or miss. It also has the worst DVD commentary I have ever heard. I think the reason I love Will Ferrell is for stuff like Elf, and Old School where he is playing someone who is sweetly oblivious. In Anchorman he’s obnoxiously oblivious. But I give him extra chances. I loved his news team, and the weatherman was amazing. “Do you want to go to the pants party?” Also, didn’t he behead someone at the rumble? Good times.
The hell? Now I thought Anchorman was okay, not great but okay, but I can’t understand anybody thinking that it would appeal to anyone other than Will Ferrell fans. It’s completely a vehicle for his schtick, nothing more. Sure it’s true that Steve Carell had the funniest character in the movie, and then if you happen to have a weird celebrity crush on Paul Rudd (hypothetically speaking) there’s that, but it’s 99% a Will Ferrell movie.
Personally, I think Ferrell is hilarious, like true genius-level funny. And I loved Elf. A lot. Both a vehicle for his schtick and a genuinely sweet, earnest Christmas movie and love story that’s not too saccharine. If he’s trying to get out of just doing secondary characters and really carry a movie, he’s going to need to be doing more stuff like Elf and less like Anchorman (and Night at the Roxbury, but that should go without saying).
Think Elf is a classic and the best movie with Will Ferrel who created a very funny character (waving at the guy hailing the cab? C’mon.)
Old School has grown on me.
Anchorman was bad. A rumble between newsmen? Punting a stuffed dog off a bridge? Winding up in a bear cage? Random, pointless jokes out of nowhere (“san diego is german for “whale vagina””)? Needless cameos? There was no center to it.
Ferrell did have some funny lines, though. And, all right, I laughed at the dog thing. Pretty weak effort.
I’ll join in saying I liked Will Ferrell but I just didn’t see what was funny about Anchorman. Yeah, it’s really funny to watch a sexist jerk who has no sense of humor.
Anchorman was pretty funny, especially the jazz flute part.
And I luurved Elf
Oh, and Bad Santa is one of the funniest damn movies I’ve seen. And this is coming from a chick that hates Billy Bob Thornton. Except in Sling Blade. But only because he didn’t look like himself.
Actually, I’m not that kind of person. I just thought we were supposed to watch our language in Cafe Society.
Was Bad Santa funnier than Badder Santa? Badder Santa was the one I watched (even paid full price for the DVD – I usually love irreverent shit like that) – I don’t think I laughed once. I like the premise and I like Billy Bob, but the movie was a big disappointment.
Anchorman was hit or miss for me too, but there were some geniuinely hilarious parts in it. Steven Carrell had me in stitches. *“I ate a big red candle”. *
Elf is a new Christmas classic in our house. How anyone can watch the scene in which Buddy the Elf hisses at the fake Santa *“You sit on a throne of lies!” * with a straight face is beyond me.
I didn’t care for Old School though. Not sure why but I just didn’t find it all that funny.
I haven’t seen Anchorman, but I thought Elf was absolutely horrible. Didn’t see any charm and certainly didn’t experience any humor. He likes sugar! That’s so funny, especially after twelve scenes emphasizing how much he likes sugar!
I love Zoolander, but my enjoyment has little to do with him.
