Blades of Glory is the latest Will Ferrell film, and if you’re like me, you won’t know if you’re going to see a good Will Ferrell film (like Anchorman) or a bad one (like Bewitched).
Fortunately, Blades of Glory is in the former camp. Now you’re going to have to suspend your disbelief a little as I explain the plot of this film. Ferrell and Napolean Dynamite’s Jon Heder are two mens’ figure skaters. They’re rivals – similar to Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan (who has a cameo – indeed most recent US skating stars get one kind of cameo or another). When they share the gold medal at the Stockholm Olym… er… “Championships” they get into a fight on the medal podium. As a result, St Elsewhere star, and voice of KITT, William Daniels bans them for life from the sport.
Fast forward three and a half years (i.e. just before the next… er… “Championships”) and both are plumbing the depths of the ice skating world, with Ferrell’s character drinking his way through a kids ice show, and Heder’s working in a skating shop. Then suddenly Heder’s stalker (keep up) realises that there’s a way back. As long as Heder partners up and goes into the ice dance pairs competition, he can get back into the tournament.
As it happens, he ends up pairing with Ferrell. Hilarious consequences ensue.
The best camera trickery in the world isn’t going to make Ferrell look like an ice dancing champion, so they just don’t really try that hard. There are a few doubles and some obvious special effects, but that’s about it. Essentially the film has the feel of Ben Stiller’s Zoolander, which isn’t surprising since Stiller is one of the executive producers.
The film really doesn’t care a great deal and just has gag after gag. The unlikely duo’s mortal rivals are another American pair played by Arrested Development’s Will Arnett and Amy Poehler. While The (US) Office’s Jenna Fischer plays Heder’s love interest – essentially reprising Pam from The Office. There are also cameo’s from The Daily Show’s Rob Corddry and other small screen stars. You get the feeling that everyone had a great deal time making this film.
If a comedy is judged simply on whether or not it makes you laugh then this success in spades. It’s silly, it’s throwaway, it’s as camp as Christmas; but it’s great fun.