The Will Ferrell Film Festival

Movie Review: Elf (2003)
After a series of hilarious bit parts in other comedies (Old School, Jay & Bob Strike Back, Zoolander, etc) Will Ferrell finally gets a leading role. Here he plays Buddy, a human raised as an Elf in the North Pole, who tries to ingratiate himself with his recently discovered father in New York. Apart from some funny fish-out-of-water moments this movie isn't too funny. It's really aimed at a younger audience and goes for cutesy more than funny. 6/10

Movie Review: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy - Unrated Version (2004)
Ferrell plays an extremely self centered anchorman in San Diego in the 70's when news casters were the coolest cats out there. He and his sexist buddies have to deal with a diligent, intelligent and beautiful new female anchor played by Christina Applegate. I first started to watch this movie last summer while at my brother's place in Ohio. Admittedly I was pretty tired at the time, but I found the first half of the movie to be really stupid and completely unfunny. Then I fell asleep. This time I found the movie hilarious. Still dumb, but very funny. I guess your mood plays a big part in how you appreciate things. Steve Carell was also very funny as the dimwitted Brick Tamland. I'm looking forward to seeing his big movie, the 40 Year Old Virgin. 7.5/10

Movie Review: Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie (2004)
This is a bonus film included with the Unrated Cut of Anchorman. It is billed as a seperate movie but in fact it is just a collection of alternate takes, extended scenes, and a major plot line that was cut out of the original film. Ferrell and friends take on a group of eco-terrorists in San Diego that are unsure of what they really want to say. It's amusing but easy to see why this plot was excised from the movie. It is a great addition to Anchorman for those that enjoyed it. 7/10

Movie Review: Kicking & Screaming (2005)
Ferrell plays a father who, despite being bullied by his over-competetive father for years, decides to coach his own underachieving son's soccer team. The thing is, his father is coaching the best team in the league. As with most sports movies you can see where this movie is going right from the start. The good points - Robert Duvall and Mike Ditka are good as overbearing coaches. The bad - none of the kids' characters are developed at all, the soccer scenes are really bad, and Will Ferrell is just not funny. I don't think he's all that good as the straight guy. He wants to make the same transition that Jim Carrey has but I don't think he has the screen presence to do it. 4/10

Movie Review: Melinda & Melinda (2004)
Not a Will Ferrell movie per se but a Woody Allen movie. 2 playwrights debate whether life is more like a comedy or a tragedy. They imagine the same set of characters (played by different actors) going through alternate stories of both tragedy and comedy. This is a really fascinating idea and I enjoyed watching it. Ferrell plays a role in the comedy side of the story. Unfortunately the comic divide isn't all that funny until it hits the halfway mark. This movie doesn't quite live up to the great idea behind it. 6.5/10