I've noticed that any review here that says this was not funny tends to be voted down whereas any review that says it was funny is voted useful, quality of writing seems to be out of the equation and the politics of the situation appear to be the all, because obviously liberals will love anything that mocks conservatives while only red neck racists would not love this film, right? Well, it will make no difference (to borrow a phrase, "haters gonna hate") but as a white, middle class male in my 30's who watches the Daily Show and is "liberal" in most issues, I should have been target audience for this and, if I'm honest I did watch it because I expected to find Bush easy to laugh at and for my own opinions to be reaffirmed in the meantime.
Problem is that this film is so incredibly basic that it just doesn't work. If you take it as an attempt at political satire then it is a total fail because there is almost nothing clever in here; considering the Daily Show ate well for years off the Bush presidency and produced constant material that was as funny as it was cutting. There is nothing here that even comes close. So OK, maybe that is me being unfair to the material because it is clearly not trying to be a biting satire but rather just a basic mocking of Bush based on the idea that he is dumb and fake. This is not anything new and it is a pretty well mined seam for the film to try and get something out of, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Problem is that the material is just crude and unfunny without any real invention or wit – the biggest laughs from the crowd come due to a picture of a penis. Add to that the fact that we have almost 3 minutes given over to a moment where Condoleezza Rice does an erotic dance for Bush (in a bit so painful I wondered if it would ever end) and you're starting to get the idea. In fairness it is a Will Ferrell film so one should not be surprised and it does play to the teenage boy market rather anyone used to their political comedy being either (a) political, or (b) funny.
Ferrell is not a good impressionist but, like the material, he goes for the easy route and he vaguely gets there – I know the point is not that he is meant to look or sound particularly like Bush but it does add to the "good enough" feel the film has. Overall I was looking forward to this film but it doesn't deliver. No matter how you look at it (political satire or fish-in-barrel exercise) it isn't funny and has no wit or invention. The "Bush is dumb" line has produced some very funny material in the past, while his terrible presidency has given us some great, cutting satire – this film cannot manage to be even average in either of those camps.
Problem is that this film is so incredibly basic that it just doesn't work. If you take it as an attempt at political satire then it is a total fail because there is almost nothing clever in here; considering the Daily Show ate well for years off the Bush presidency and produced constant material that was as funny as it was cutting. There is nothing here that even comes close. So OK, maybe that is me being unfair to the material because it is clearly not trying to be a biting satire but rather just a basic mocking of Bush based on the idea that he is dumb and fake. This is not anything new and it is a pretty well mined seam for the film to try and get something out of, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. Problem is that the material is just crude and unfunny without any real invention or wit – the biggest laughs from the crowd come due to a picture of a penis. Add to that the fact that we have almost 3 minutes given over to a moment where Condoleezza Rice does an erotic dance for Bush (in a bit so painful I wondered if it would ever end) and you're starting to get the idea. In fairness it is a Will Ferrell film so one should not be surprised and it does play to the teenage boy market rather anyone used to their political comedy being either (a) political, or (b) funny.
Ferrell is not a good impressionist but, like the material, he goes for the easy route and he vaguely gets there – I know the point is not that he is meant to look or sound particularly like Bush but it does add to the "good enough" feel the film has. Overall I was looking forward to this film but it doesn't deliver. No matter how you look at it (political satire or fish-in-barrel exercise) it isn't funny and has no wit or invention. The "Bush is dumb" line has produced some very funny material in the past, while his terrible presidency has given us some great, cutting satire – this film cannot manage to be even average in either of those camps.