Movie Review: The Campaign

I was sold the first time I saw a trailer for The Campaign. Zack Galifianakis and Will Ferrell in the same movie! I was in. I was also nervous because where there is the potential for great reward; there is also the potential for great disappointment. I went into The Campaign hoping that I wouldn't be sorely disappointed. I wasn't.

Incumbent congressman Cam Brady (Will Farrell) loves being in office and being re-elected is easy, since he usually runs unopposed ... until now. Big-time industrialists, the Moher brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Ackroyd) want to move their Chinese factory to the U.S. with the same low wages and lack of environmental regulations and governmental controls. To make this happen, they need a congressman. Cam Brady might have been their man but a recent scandal (he left a vulgar voicemail for his mistress on the answering machine of a devout Christian family) has rocked his campaign. They need an opponent and they find one in Marty Huggins. He runs the town tourism bus and is the son of a major politico. With the help of campaign manager Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott), Marty's innocence soon gives way to a no-holds-barred win-at-all-cost battle.

First of all, this is an R-rated comedy. The 'R' definitely stands for raunchy as the language and the subject matter isn't for the faint of heart. However, if you like your comedies with a high raunch factor, you will probably enjoy The Campaign, I know I did. There were many, many laugh out loud moments and we laughed loud and often.

Ferrell and Galifianakis delivered laughs throughout. I was surprised that Dylan McDermott could be funny but he was. At the same time Saturday Night Live alum Jason Sudeikis, along with Lithgow and Ackroyd actually played it pretty straight. 

This is a funny, slapstick and completely low-brow affairs. People going in expecting incisive political commentary or satire will be sorely disappointed. Of course, what did they expect from Ferrell, Galifianakis and director Jay Roach? This is not at all an intellectual affair.

Yet, if you like your comedies silly and you enjoy a good laugh, you'll probably like (if not love), The Campaign. I might even have to add it to my DVD collection.