Movie #338 - Kicking and Screaming

Kicking & Screaming
2005 - Rated PG - 1 hr 35 min
Director: Jesse Dylan
Starring: Will Ferrell, Robert Duvall, Mike Ditka, Kate Walsh, Musetta Vander, Elliott Cho, Dylan McLaughlin, Josh Hutcherson, Rachael Harris, David Herman

Will Ferrell does a kids' movie (kinda) and I just can't help but think it's hillarious.  I know not everyone is a big Ferrell fan, but I unabashedly am (except for Semi-Pro, which you will not see on this blog. Nope.) 

Here, he battles his competitive dad Robert Duvall by coaching the underdog pee wee soccer team (Duvall coaches the best team in the league).  Ferrell teams up with famed NFL coach Mike Ditka, Duvall's nemesis next-door neighbor, who plays himself. Genius.  He even coaches in his classic shirt, tie, and Bears sweater. Gotta love it.

Of course, the pressure sends Ferrell over the edge little by little, leading to scenes like the coffee shop throwdown and the butcher shop takeover (think chainsaw + half a cow). Some of its all for a cheap laugh, as is his usual style, but there's enough substance here to make this a feel-good comedy, more so than his others.  His relationship with his son develops nicely, as does his connection to his own dad.  And as he sees how interconnected the two relationships really are, he deals with it and makes the best of it.

Good stuff, all around. It's just cute and lots of fun to watch.

Movie #322 - Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
2001 - Rated R - 1 hr 44 min
Director: Kevin Smith
Starring: Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith, Ben Affleck, Shannon Elizabeth, Eliza Dushku, Ali Larter, Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran, Will Ferrell, Jason Lee, Judd Nelson, George Carlin, Carrie Fisher, Seann William Scott, Matt Damon, Jon Stewart, Tracy Morgan, Gus Van Sant, Chris Rock, Jamie Kennedy, Mark Hamill and tons of other cameos....

There are too many cameos in this crazy movie for me to tag and list here... It's a veritable Who's Who of past Kevin Smith films.  A reunion of sorts.  Written as a promise to pal Jason Mewes (after the actor went to rehab and got clean), Smith's reunion movie pulls out all the stops.  They even dig up Morris Day & the Time for the grand finale.

So Jay and Silent Bob are on a cross-country adventure, hoping to claim the royalties they're owed by Brodie for using their comic book likenesses in a new movie. Along the way, as in any good road trip movie, they meet a lot of wacky characters. Some try to help them, others frame them for robbery.  Many old favorites pop up again from Mooby's to the Quik Stop.  And Ben Affleck and Matt Damon appear both as characters in the film and as themselves... so that's fun.

This isn't a movie to watch if you've never seen a Kevin Smith film before.  If you have, it's like watching a long string of inside jokes being told by familiar friends.  If you're a fan, chances are you've already seen this anyway... so what am I telling you for?

Movie #178 - Elf

Elf
2003 - Rated PG - 1 hr 37 min
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Will Ferrell, Edward Asner, Bob Newhart, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Zooey Deschanel, Peter Dinklage

Smiling may be my favorite, but this movie comes close.  It could so easily have been too much, but it's a perfect balance of real and fiction, belief and skepticism, with a side of maple syrup.

What makes this movie work, though, is Will Ferrell's utter committment to the role.  He buys into it completely, which makes it easier for us to get lost in the story of Buddy the Elf and his journey to New York City.  A half-assed performance wouldn't do the trick, and would have made the whole movie fall flat.  Thankfully, he's so excellent at this kind of thing, you half expect to be able to talk to narwals.

So even though Christmas is over, I still took much joy in being able to watch this one again.  Of all the elves in all the movies out there, Buddy is my favorite, hands down.

Movie #82 - Blades of Glory

Blades of Glory
Dreamworks
2007 - Rated PG-13 - 1 hr 33 min
Directors: Josh Gordon, Will Speck
Starring: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Jenna Fischer, Craig T. Nelson, Romany Malco, lots of skating pros

Any time I need a pick-me-up, I turn to a good Will Ferrell comedy.  (You'll notice I said "good," so Semi-Pro is strategically missing from the movie wall.) When I was pregnant with my daughter, this was often found in the DVD player just because it makes me laugh.

For pure entertainment purposes, this movie is fantastic.  The plot is a bit fantastical, but the satire of figure skating is a lot of fun.  A huge list of skating pros appear in this movie, which just makes it that much better.  And how can you not love "Coach" playing their coach? Craig T. Nelson is a quiet tyrant in this movie and it's awesome.  Ferrell is outrageous and Jon Heder is the farthest thing from Napoleon Dynamite that a man can be.  From start to finish, I love these characters and this movie.

Movie #27 - Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
DreamWorks
2004 - Rated R - 1 hr 34 min
Director: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell, David Koechner, Fred Willard, Seth Rogen, Danny Trejo, Kathryn Hahn

Oh, I looooooooooooooooooooooove this movie. Watching it again was just fun for me, quoting all my favorite lines and singing along with the four-part harmony to "Afternoon Delight." I just got to sit back and enjoy Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, and David Koechner be absolutely weird (and 100% bought-into their characters). In fact, that's probably what makes this comedy so awesome - you really believe they are these outrageous 70's era newscasters.

Oh yeah, and you get to add a little Fred Willard (and a brief moment of Jack Black).... sweet.