While around the world the most popular among the racing audience are such competitions as “Formula 1” and rally, the United States went on its own special path and raised to absolute popularity the NASCAR championship, gathering in the stands, and especially in front of the TV screens a whole army of fans. The year of the formation of NASCAR can be confidently called 1948, when prominent sports functionary Bill Franz Sr. decided to combine half-amateur races held in the southeastern United States into one championship. Having discussed with colleagues the prospects of a new and rather promising competition, Franz thereby gave battle to his numerous and for the time being more influential rivals from more prestigious racing federations, taking a fair share of attention and profit from them. Over time, NASCAR was able to squeeze out those who did not want to deal with it and showed that even those who drive ordinary production cars can play big races. This feature of NASCAR in all spurred the imagination of ordinary motorists, and even if they could not get to the races themselves, then no one forbade them to dream of such, or cheer for their chosen participants. Of course, due to the updates of safety rules and racing evolution, modern technical transformations have become increasingly used in NASCAR cars, but this did not affect the popularity of this type of competition, which in the United States do not leave a single chance for other races that are trying to win their place in the sun from the brainchild of Bill Franz Sr. Perhaps the most famous feature film based on the NASCAR phenomenon can be called Days of Thunder, where Tom Cruise played one of the leading roles. Subsequently, the artists of Pixar Studio played on the winning theme, creating a whole trilogy of Cars around the competition, from which children around the world are still delighted. But the most unexpected picture, inextricably associated with NASCAR can be called “Ricky Bobby: King of the Road”, a somewhat crazy, but charming comedy that was simply doomed to popularity.
So, the plot of the film tells us about Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell), who from an early age dreamed of becoming a professional racer and achieving universal recognition in NASCAR. Bobby had to achieve his goals through thorns, but despite all the blows of fate, he still managed to become one of the most titled racers on the planet, while receiving universal support from a longtime school friend, and now teammate Cal Naughton (John C. Railly), who was never averse to letting Ricky ahead. And there was no sadness in the races of the two comrades, until on American soil suddenly appeared Jean Gerard (Sacha Baron Cohen), seriously thinking of ending the hegemony of Ricky Bobby, after which everything in life went wrong.
After working together on the parody film “Television Host”, the duo of comedian Will Ferrell and director Adam McKay was right to insist on their point of view regarding the artistic issues of their upcoming films in conversation with major studio executives. And in order not to waste time, Ferrell and McKay presented the producers with the idea of a racing comedy in the style of NASCAR, which simply had to get through the signature humor of the couple, not noticing any boundaries. And as Ricky Bobby himself shows, no one even thought about stopping Ferrell and McKay in their creative quest. The creators again took advantage of repeatedly tested patterns, showing the title character of the film rather strange, sometimes arrogant guy who is trying to show his perfection in public, although in fact it is clear that he is not as brave and bullying as he tries to introduce himself. Of course, in this story, Will Ferrell is not as flawed as in Step Brothers and The Lost World, but he practically does not try to move away from his usual role. Ricky Bobby in his performance is overly focused on his own greatness, and even the fact that fate has repeatedly put him on foot, up to a certain point can not cause the hero to realize who he really is. From Ferrell here is not to expect absolutely nothing surprising. Together with McKay, he wrote the script for himself and made his character a logical successor of past and future images. But the good news is that Ricky Bobby is trying not to fall into a downright miserable state for at least most of the film. This can already be considered at least a small advantage of the main storyline, since it is very unfun to watch from the film in Ilm how Ferrell engages in frankly caricatured self-flagellation. Of course, to move away from this in full he was not destined, and nevertheless, comparing “Ricky Bobby” with his other paintings, you can see that the comedian tried to do something fresh, and the theme of NASCAR allowed him to be in a completely atypical habitat, which is also of interest.
From Will Ferrell, the audience got exactly what they wanted, but the very mood of the film, its dynamics and tension can really please. If we set aside the typical humor from Ferrell, then we get a rather expensive and high-quality sports film, which skillfully uses the hype and atmosphere of NASCAR. The races themselves are filmed at a high professional level and it can be seen that many of the scenes were shot live with the participation of real stuntmen. Of course, in some moments, computer graphics are also visible, but it is not very striking. So the funds used by Ferrell and McKay went to the development of the story for good, which is not to say about the same “Step Brothers”, where the same $ 70 million on the screen is not visible in principle. In addition, the film boasts a good cast, singing along to Will Ferrell in his comedic fantasies. Particularly worthy of mention is Sacha Baron Cohen, who until the very final competes with the title character not only in racing, but in life itself. Reincarnated in the French athlete NASCAR, Cohen fully uses the opportunities given to him and tries to show by direct example that he represents a real danger for Ricky Bobby, not her faded likeness.
In the end, I want to say that “Ricky Bobby: King of the Road” on the one hand is a film by Will Ferrell from the initial idea to the final editing, but on the other hand, it has the theme of NASCAR, which in itself can cause a stir. Unsurprisingly, the film attracted special attention, managed to bring tangible profits and as a result allowed Ferrell and McKay to do what they wanted. Of course, the film is not exemplary, but as it has repeatedly happened to the creators, entertains quite tolerably.
7 out of 10
American director, producer and screenwriter Adam McKay is now quite a famous person in the world of cinema. His inventive and original biopic, The Downgrade Game, was awarded the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. But long before the general success, Adam performed very well in the comedy genre, especially collaborating with the famous comedian Will Ferrell. These two together made several films, not pretending to be something serious, but successfully passed at the box office. This is perhaps the most interesting fruit of their collaboration.
By genre it is a sports comedy with elements of parody. The authors deliberately ridicule all the artistic elements inherent in the sports genre, whether it is being on top of fame, a painful fall and an epic return. However, the authors manage to present the story in an original way, in their own style. The plot is built around the NASCAR motor racing, one of the most popular and spectacular competitions in the world of motorsport. The main character racer Ricky Bobby always finishes the race in the first place, in this he is helped by his loyal friend Cal Naughton Jr. They have seized the lead and do not intend to lose it, but the appearance of a new opponent confuses all cards. The plot, as you can see, is not novel, but the story is really fascinating.
There are two types of humor in the picture. Is there any stupid and vulgar humor here? This is really there, but does not cause much irritation, although it looks inappropriate. For the most part, the jokes are pretty harmless and really funny. There is a dramatic line, it is sustained in an ironic style, but it reflects well the changes in human consciousness, and in relation to his family, and to his perception of the world around him, and awareness of simple human values.
The sports part is shown in a parody key, but at the same time spectacular and convincing. The scenes of the races look very inventive and look with great interest. The authors managed to convey the drive and emotional outburst to the audience. Musical accompaniment only adds to the positive. Clichés and stamps are ridiculed in a bizarre manner.
Will Ferrell played the leading role of a popular racer. In an inherent manner, he showed a character who is distinguished by impudence, arrogant behavior and a stupid mindset, but at the same time is kind and noble in soul, which shows us the final of the tape. John C. Riley once again shines with his charisma and comic behavior, playing the role of the partner of the main character. In general, the film has a wonderful cast, each plays at its own level, but I want to highlight the beautiful Amy Adams, who, although played a small role, but looks amazing in the frame. On the one hand it is her natural charm and sweetness, and on the other brilliantly played scene in the bar.
Ricky Bobby: King of the Road is a funny, light and bizarre sports comedy. The picture ridicules the sports genre in particular, and the American way of life in general. The parody form allows you to show an absolutely unrealistic story in an inspiring way. This simple and uncomplicated tape can be an excellent option for evening viewing.
8 out of 10
The motto of any rider: “If you are not the first, then you are the last!”
More recently, the financial drama “Game to Downgrade” was one of the favorites at the Academy Awards “Oscar”. Adam McKay made this picture, and you know where he started? I started off with a very far from serious movie. He was known at first as a regular employee of the comedy show beloved by all Americans “Saturday Night Live”, which has been broadcasting continuously since 1975! There began his career on television stand-up comedian and parody Will Ferrell, who at one time became the face of “Saturday Night...” Success with ordinary American viewers could not pass by the ambitious comedian and picking up the company of immigrants of the same notorious show, he wrote the script and played a major role in the parody comedy on television “The TV host: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”, directed by Adam McKay, which we mentioned at the very beginning. And two years later, it all happened again, only now it was a new film, called Ricky Bobby: King of the Road.
The plot in this parody sports comedy was different, but the essence remained the same. The main character, played naturally by Will Ferrell, was convinced from childhood that he was a born racer. But for a long time no one took him seriously and worked Ricky Bobby in the “stable” of one of the racing teams of the series “NASCAR” as an ordinary mechanic, until, finally, the Almighty did not heed his pleas and gave him a chance: the rider of the team Ricky refused to participate, as his “stable” became an absolute laughingstock. The striker is changed to the first challenger and Ricky Bobby understands the matter. He won a seemingly hopeless race in brilliant style, and then another one, then a second one. So, our Ricky becomes a champion, he's in the money pool, he's got a stunning blonde wife, two nasty kids, and a dumb but reliable friend. Life is good! That's what Ricky Bobby thought until his car crashed and after that, the once-best NASCAR driver suffered a severe psychological shock.
Will Ferrell continued at the same pace set by TV Hosts, and the viewer who watched the parody of Ron Burgundy will find it easy to learn the common features of this film with Ricky Bobby: King of the Road. First, the main character is not very smart and smart, but he is purposeful, egocentric and confident in his irresistibility. Just like Inspector Clouseau in his first interpretation. Around the hero Will Ferrell is surrounded by seemingly ordinary people, but sometimes their actions lead to bewilderment and begin to suspect that they are even lower in intelligence than Ricky Bobby. Only a couple of figures in his picture can have normality and intelligibility. On this contrast, Will Ferrell plays back: against the background of normal people, his hero and those like him look even more ridiculous. Although a sane person would say at best that it's all a circus. Although, I have to admit, a couple of scenes really made me laugh, especially when Ricky Bobby had to ride a wrecked stooge with a cougar in the back seat. But there were idiotic scenes and ideas, for example, all the same unbred children, although then they still calmed down.
Already from this film it was possible to judge Will Ferrell that he was an actor of one role. He easily manages to create the image of an adult loser (and the word “loser” is a terrible word in the lexicon of Americans, even worse than “f**k”), who still takes his honesty and selflessness. He is offended by everyone who is not lazy, but he cannot respond in the same way, he is so kind and believes in tolerance. Of course, this behavior does not give brutality to Will Ferrell despite his appearance (I wonder if Ron Perlman is not his lost brother as a child?). But running around in his underpants and helmet on the track Ricky Bobby - it was funny. John C. Reilly played Ricky’s best friend. By the way, Reilly and Ferrell are friends across the screen. Of course, Reilly had a strange character, but he coped with it very successfully, not in vain, but then they will star together more than once. Comedian Sacha Baron Cohen once again played on the topic of homosexuality, but the surprise was that the enemy on the track he was not in life for Ricky. But the most lively and interesting characters were Gary Cole and Jane Lynch, at least for them you can watch Ricky Bobby: King of the Road once.
Until some time comedies with Will Ferrell were not flat and were accompanied by well-written characters for the genre of parody. It was noticeable that Ferrell took his frivolous paintings seriously. Confirmation that such a stage at the comedian existed can serve as a parody sports comedy "Ricky Bobby: King of the Road", where there are several really funny or at least funny scenes and the film contains a minimum of vulgarity, which is even somewhat surprising, because the release of the picture was engaged in the studio "Apatow Productions". In general, if you are in a good mood, you can calmly relax and additionally relax while watching, albeit a little stupid, but unobtrusive and easy comedy "Ricky Bobby: King of the Road". I did it, so try it out for you.
I would also like to speak, but briefly. The movie is great! Farrell-Cohen and Farrell-Ca Reilly are brilliant!
Can you not see that this is a tough banter of Americans over themselves, and the beauty here is precisely in stupid American jokes, idiotic deeds, etc., etc. The more funnier, duller and unacceptable the scene seems, there and it is necessary to look for the truth behind the background, for which the film was shot.
The first time I did not like the film at all - I was also indignant with moronic humor, but after watching the 2nd and 3rd times, as the understanding itself came.
I suggest you watch it a few times. By the way, I will once again argue with ' stupid' American humor.
Comedy pro racing Of course, not everyone likes such humor, but if they don’t like it, then why watch it? Let the humor, although artificial, but in many places of the film, laughed from the heart. Will Farrell is great with his idiotic mottos, and in general the film is complete idiocy. There is no point in finding fault with the plot, it is still a comedy, and its purpose is to laugh. In the movie there are very interesting races, there are serious overtaking, and all sorts of jokes in the face of Cohen, who drinks coffee and reads books at the wheel. I expected to see a worse movie, and so a fun, banal parody of races in which to laugh. The fire scene is the funniest and most idiotic in the film, so to mow under idiots, you still need to have talent. Original