The Campaign (2012)

the leading man is my tpye

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

The thing is, the only reason why this feels like it has a story is that it follows a campaign for US congress. If it didn't have that format, there would not be much of a story, but just a bunch of gags.Some of the gags are OK. Sadly, most of the OK ones are "out there" (like punching little life forms) - meaning, they're not really OK, but work in the context.Performance-wise, most actors do OK, but not really well or inspired.Comedies like these can have a message, like painting all modern political campaigns as worthless or such. But, it doesn't, because you know it's a comedy, so you don't care for all the idiotic things that happen, 'cause there's no emotional impact to feel. Of course, it's perfectly fine to just use the premise for laughs, but, in that case, the laughs should be much better or more frequent.

"Summary" sez all, but I guess IMDb requires me to flesh it in, so here goes.It's kinda sad, and I guess a sort of lesson in the evils of marketing: Why call yourself "Funny or Die" unless you're trying to hide something?The film has flashes of absolute brilliance; the kind of stuff that's a decent conceptual foundation for an amazing tour-de-force of comedy and even social relevance.Then, it starts creeping in. First, there are scenes that sort of develop the thesis, tho they seem a bit weak. But, since the thesis is solid, you're willing to bend a bit, accept those weak scenes as "boffo", or "pushing the envelope". But then... the bomb drops. The writers/editors create/permit something that stinks up the place. And the magic spell evaporates. And this happens, again and again.The acting/directing/editing/production values in general are excellent. The work by the venerable faces is, of course, impeccable; and the new faces aren't too chabby, either.It's just a shame that all that talent gets ritualistically flushed down the tubes by shoddy values in scenario work.Try something like this again, and this time, hold that line: If a quip or scenario _feels_ ill-considered, don't give it another thought. Keep the tone sharp, on-the-edge, challenging, smart, and... FUNNY.Or die.

Okay so it could have been smarter but it's still pretty funny. Sure there are some obvious gags and the Bible Belt makes a easy target, but for those of us who aren't committed Republicans or Democrats it provides even-handed laughs. Ferrell plays a Ron Burgundy wannabee while Zack is ostensibly a family man though he camps it up massively, inviting speculation that he bats for the other side. Anyway it's a hoot, if a little crude at times. I've just had my review rejected because it was too concise and they want me to rabbit on for 10 lines, sorry about that, lah di dah blah blah what do you think about the mid- terms?

For some untold reason, Hollywood is usually indifferent when it comes to treading the ever widening gap between Republicans and Democrats. Political satires, as we have seen before (Welcome to Mooseport), works in favor of an international audience by not dwelling into either philosophy too deeply. That being said, The Campaign does throw subtle jabs towards Conservatives as well as Liberals, and in doing so, makes this movie a slapstick lampoon rather than a witty satire. Why? Look no further than characters played by Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis – one has a heart of gold and the other thinks he excretes gold! Running for his fifth consecutive year as Congressman of North Carolina, Cam Brady's (Ferrell) campaign hits a snag after Cam publicly embarrasses himself in a sex scandal. Seizing the moment, albeit with corrupt intentions as puppeteers, industrialists Wade (Dan Aykroyd) and Glenn Motch (John Lithgow) ring up Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) as Cam's rival contender. A naive and timid family man, Marty is no contest and Cam has no trouble in drawing first blood at the introductory campaign launch. This is when the Motch brothers send in campaign manager Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott) to Marty's rescue. Tim is quick to turn Marty around into giving Cam a run for his money. The rest, if you stay tuned, is a tooth and nail dogfight but typical of a Will Ferrell movie; think Step Brothers and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.Of the two 'wolf pack' comedies last year, The Campaign might just have the edge over Neighborhood Watch, thanks to Adam McKay's hand in producing and co-scripting the story. Judging from McKay's previous collaborations with Ferrell, comic elements here are a standard affair and as expected, you get to see a grown man behave like a little brat, or in context, a sore loser. As such, Ferrell's Cam resorts to some dirty tricks that translates into crude humor, both above and below the belt. In contrast, Galifianakis's Marty is a watered-down dimwit, but an oddball nevertheless, with honest intentions behind his political aspirations. Pitched on a collision course, Ferrell and Galifianakis are both within character and both within their elements as comedians. The problem I see is that familiarity comes with contempt, part and parcel. Amid the outrageous slander and sledging, tantrum throwing and punches that don't land on target, Ferrell and Galifianakis will make you laugh, some, the same way they have done before. Just don't expect to be rolling down the aisles. As a comedy, the story gets by with regular chuckles where the few original jokes are sporadic yet engaging. But considering the comic talent and various cameos throughout the film, there is hardly any input from the supporting cast. Jason Sudeikis as Cam's campaign manager is mostly sidelined. On the other hand, McDermott's default shadiness in Tim seems to work without any apparent attempt at humor. Then there is Lithgow and Aykroyd whose wit never really manifests into a comic moment. Finally, the feel-good ending undermines all the comic mischief that went into the premise – morons who decide to become leaders.For all that it's worth, this is probably the first political romp aimed at actually making a stance during the 2012 election season in the United States. With multiple spoofs within spoofs, it's no wonder that Motch rhymes with Koch.