Picture this: two male figure skaters who hate each other so much they get themselves banned from professional skating. They go off into depressing jobs, only to return to ice skating as the first male pair duo in ice skating history. Then, add Will Ferrell and Jon Heder to the mix.
Trust me, you will laugh.
If you liked Will Ferrell on “Saturday Night Live,” check this movie out. As Chazz Michael Michaels, Ferrell plays the sex icon of ice-skating who makes the women faint. Heder, meanwhile, plays Jimmy MacElroy, the squeaky-clean child star playing by the books.
MacElroy and Michaels square off in the championship and the two men end up in a tie for the gold medal, but sorry – there’s no skate-off in this movie. MacElroy and Michaels, having to share the first-place podium, end up fighting.
In the madness that ensues, a mascot gets set on fire, and the two men are bannished from skating. As their punishment, they are sent into a world without ice-skating. Both men fall into run-of-mill jobs, but hope is restored when a loophole is found: the only way the two rivals can ever skate again is to skate as a pair.
The highlight of the film has to be MacElroy and Michaels skating in their first competition as a duo. You won’t believe the different positions they find themselves in on the ice. As awkward as it is for a man to skate with another man, it is hilarious to watch, and this scene had the whole theater laughing.
This is the first major film for directors Josh Gordon and Will Speck. Although the film is produced by Ben Stiller, it may disappoint you in the end after sitting through all the cheesy dialogue. Ferrell once again plays the same over-the-top character we’ve seen in “Old School” and “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” This time, Ferrell plays a sex addict and yes, we see him strip down to his underwear yet another time. Ferrell is able to pull it off again, and makes this character undeniably funny.
Ferrell and Heder compliment each other well in the film and I was surprised at Heder’s performance. Even next to Ferrell, Heder was able to hold his own throughout the movie.
The movie has cameos from Owen Wilson and skating champions Sasha Cohen, Scott Hamilton and Nancy Kerrigan. Husband and wife Will Arnett and Amy Poehler star as a powerhouse skating duo and rival to MacElroy and Michaels. Jenna Fischer (“The Office”), Romany Malco (“40-year-old Virgin”) and William Fichtner (“The West Wing”) also star in the film. Craig T. Nelson from the show “Coach” even plays a coach.
His performance was weak and I think the directors miscast him for the role
While they are big names, the main characters were not as funny as they could have been. Luckily, Ferrell carries the film on his shoulders and still delivers an uproarious performance.
Jacqueline Covey can be reached at tua61620@temple.edu.
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