Rated R for crude sexual content, language and brief nudity.
Starring Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis and Jason Sudeikis
Directed by Jay Roach (Dinner for Schmucks, Meet The Parents and Austin Powers)
I don’t know what’s worse, The Campaign or those political ads that are flooding our TV’s right now.
When long-term congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEOs plots to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina district. Their man: naïve Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. At first, Marty appears to be the unlikeliest possible choice but with the help of his new benefactors’ support, a cutthroat campaign manager and his family’s political connections, he soon becomes a contender who gives the charismatic Cam plenty to worry about. As Election Day closes in, the two are locked in a dead heat, with insults quickly escalating to injury until all they care about is burying each other, in this mud-slinging, back-stabbing, home-wrecking comedy from Meet the Parents director Jay Roach that takes today’s political circus to its logical next level. Because even when you think campaign ethics have hit rock bottom, there’s room to dig a whole lot deeper.
From time to time we review films not because we are excited to see them, but because the students we love want to go see them. And with comic superstars Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis teaming up with director Jay Roach, who directed Dinner for Schmucks and Meet The Parents and the Austin Powers films, I knew this movie was going to be a big draw for students. So please don’t get upset with me for watching it…I went to the theater so you didn’t have to.
I’ll admit a lot of what takes place in this movie is funny, but there are way too many scenes/jokes that cross the line and cease being funny. Besides being inappropriate, a lot of the schemes hit too close to reality. It’s sad that we live in a country where we would rather tear down the “other guy” than simply stand on what we believe. And when the candidates use some of those methods it loses much of the humor.
Both Ferrell and Galifianakis are good in their roles but it is the supporting cast that stands out. McDermott is particularly good as the all-controlling Wattley. And Jason Sudeikis is usually pretty funny.
I believe if it weren’t so raunchy, The Campaign would have been a funnier movie. It is hard to laugh at humor that is that low brow…I say “Skip It.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
No this one is way too raunchy.
There are a few scenes of nudity, sexual situations, coarse jokes and around 30 F-words.
Conversation Starter
- What do you think is the biggest complaint most people say about politicians?
- Why do you think they lie?
- Why do you think they often can’t be trusted?
- Do you want people to think that way about you?
- Read Matthew 5:37
Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
- What do you think that verse means?
- What are some things we can do so people trust us and believe us when we say yes or no?
