FilmSnobReviews

Will Farrell is a man of many faces, he’s been a NASCAR Driver (Talladega Nights), Santa’s not-so-little helper (Elf) as well as forever changing pop culture with his roles as an Anchorman, and a 40 year old manboy. He’s put together some of cinema’s best performances such as his Golden Globe turn in Stranger Than Fiction, as well as some of cinema’s worst, such as his turn as Darrin in the terrible movie adaptation of the 60’s sitcom Bewitched. Here were going to talk up three performances that we think sum up the good, the bad, and the ugly of Farrell’s career.

While Farrell is known mostly for his comedic prowess here Farrell reaffirms what Stranger Then Fiction taught us, and that is that Will Farrell can act. Here Farrell is Nick Halsey a reformed alcoholic. Nick isn’t having such a good day when he’s laid off from his job. That would be enough to drive a man back to drink, but from the book of kicking a man while he’s down his wife leaves him on that same day, leaving all his stuff on the lawn. Farrell’s charm here is in the subtlety of his characterization. He makes everything go,and the film is all the better for it.

It seems like a premise with which Farrell is familiar take a 1960’s television show, and make the film adaptation. It was a premise that lead to disaster last time (2005’s Bewitched). This time around was no different, and while Land of the Lost commercially was a success it suffered the same fate as Bewitched, and that was it truly stunk. The plot was an incomprehensible mess, the performances wooden, and the makeup and special effects cheesy. It’s bad, and the thing is I think it’s serious. I don’t get the sense that when they completed this they thought they made something awesome.

I’m not sure what’s uglier Semi-Pro as a film, or Farrell’s Jackie Moon characters Afro. This uncertainty makes it so that this movie as a whole is one big ole cluster of ugly. And while there are plenty of movies in Ferrell’s canon that could’ve been here sheerly for there horribleness, none of those other characters were close to Jackie Moon ugly. With his recycled jokes, 70’s innuendo, and overtly macho bravado Moon only stood to annoy the viewer, which is okay because the dialogue stinks and the jokes are flat.

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our look into Farrell’s career thus far feel free to add anything we may have missed.

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