Let’s Win This Thing for America

Election years are always great times for comedy, so much so that the reality is often funnier than any scripted bits that Hollywood can produce.

But what fun would it be if we left all our political humor to the politicians?

That’s right, none.

So let’s give thanks for the new movie The Campaign, which stars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as two doofus political candidates battling it out in a small North Carolina town for a Congressional seat.

If that premise doesn’t tell you enough about what kind of movie this is, then know this: The film begins with a quote from one-time Presidential candidate Ross Perot. 

The two stars basically play versions of characters we’ve seen them play before — Ferrell is a cocky blowhard in a haircut, and Galifianakis is an effeminate loser — with some mild jabs at the Koch brothers, political consultants, and traditional campaign ass-kissing (pandering to various demographic groups and kissing babies, for example) thrown in.

Is the comedy sharp and insightful? Not really (a surprise, given that the film was directed by Jay Roach, who also directed the Emmy-nominated HBO movie Game Change). Perhaps the most interesting thing is that Ferrell’s character, Cam Brady, is actually the Democrat. And the biggest chuckle I got was learning that the wife of Galifianakis’ character, Marty Huggins, is named Mitzi. (That’s right, the same name as my sister.)

The film is basically a silly, toothless, high-concept goof about the political process. It’s Ferrell and Galifianakis having fun for an hour and a half — 85 minutes to be exact, even though it feels longer than that.

(If you prefer your political humor to be smarter and edgier, see a movie like In the Loop instead.)

I’ll admit that I laughed a bit at The Campaign. But a little of these characters surely goes a long way.

So I’m casting my vote for the film, with reservations. The Campaign gets a B from me.

If you could, would you support Will Ferrell or Zach Galifianakis? Cast your vote for one of them in the comments section below.