Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (Unrated Edition)
Columbia Pictures
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Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) is a NASCAR racing sensation whose "win at all costs" approach has made him a national hero. He and his loyal racing partner and childhood friend, Cal Naughton Jr. (John C. Reilly), are a fearless duo, thrilling their fans by finishing most races in the top spots - with Ricky Bobby always leading the pack. When a flamboyant French Formula One driver, Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), challenges him for the supremacy of NASCAR, Ricky Bobby must face his own demons and fight for his place as racing's top driver.

If you've seen more than one of Will Ferrell's comedies, you know he doesn't change his shtick much from role to role. Sure there's the blips along the way like in Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda, the recent Stranger Than Fiction and the animated Curious George, but the rest of the time he's an oblivious galoot. And that's what makes him so great. And while Talladega Nights is certainly a comedic vehicle (bad pun only partially intended) for Ferrell, the supporting characters are just as important in creating the long line of laughs.

It's about time NASCAR got its own spoof. The passion shown by its fans and racers alike have create an intriguing subculture that's hard to ignore. The cars are fast, the colours are bright, the sponsorship deals are numerous. All of these facts are placed firmly in cheek as Ricky Bobby battles for racing supremacy. The pit crew is led by John C. Reily (Chicago) and Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat). They, and several others, take some of the weight off Ferrell's shoulders – shoulders that given too much run amuck. If you're unsure what that looks like see Bewitched or Kicking and Screaming where all the jokes are from the spontaneous mouth of Ferrell.

Talladega Nights does run a little long, but the first two-thirds of the race are filled with lots of big laughs and satire.

Video: How's it look?
The anamorphic widescreen picture (2.40:1 aspect) is perfect. The colours are bright and vivid, there's no scuff marks or scratches.

Audio: How's it sound?
For a movie about racing, you want to be blown away. This DVD doesn't disappoint. The film is presented with strong Dolby Digital 5.1 tracks in both English and French.

Extras: What additional goodies are included?

• Director/co-writer/executive producer Adam McKay and some of his "friends" provide a strange and surreal commentary track that sounds serious on the surface, but is really a compilation of dry, dry humour.
• Nine additional or extended scenes.
• Two minutes of outtakes.
• Line-o-Rama squeezes pulls many of the best one-liners and pastes them all together into a five-minute piece.
• Bobby's boys Walker and Texas Ranger get nearly six minutes of one-liner goodness. Even though many didn't make the final film, it doesn't mean they're not hilarious.
• Ricky and Cal provide a selection of commercials and public service announcements.
• "Interviews" with Ricky and Cal, Jean and Gregory, and Cal and Carley reminiscent of the kind you see in traditional sports documentaries.
• "Will Ferrell Returns to Talladega" looks at the promotional blitz surrounding the film's release.
• A minute and change worth of additional racing footage set to rockin' music.
• Three NASCAR promotional spots.
• Theatrical trailer.
• There's a veritable trailer park here with previews for The Pursuit of Happyness, Ghost Rider, The Da Vinci Code, Little Man, Click, Curse of the Golden Flower, An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder, Seinfeld: Season 7 and Blu-Ray.
• English and French subtitles.

Closing Thoughts
One of Will Ferrell's funniest films to date, Talladega Nights really is more than cornball jokes and race car fun. The "Unrated" DVD has tons of extra giggles and gags to keep everyone laughing for a long time. This is definitely one of the funniest films (and DVDs) to be released in a some time..


Review brought to you by our friend Ryan @ Movie-Views.com