Talladega Nights: The blurbs
Here's my thesis: The better a newspaper gets NASCAR, the worse its review of Talladega Nights is. The flip is true, too: The better reviews are coming from papers that don't know NASCAR (or Nascar) from CASCAR, ASCAP or NAMBLA.
Crazy, I know. But I saw a couple of early reviews from papers that have movie critics but not racin' writers, and the reviews were generally pretty good.
I cut and paste some blurbs after the jump. See how well my theory held up.
Associated Press
NASCAR savvy: Very strong. They have a reporter (or two) AND photographers at every race.
Their take: "the movie has its thrilling moments but mostly feels repetitive — it's constantly moving but never really goes anywhere."
Los Angeles Daily News
NASCAR savvy: Little, despite stealing Darlington's Labor Day Cup date
Their take: Three stars (out of four). "Only a really bad good ol' boy could fail to chuckle at 'Talladega's' dang-near brilliant caricatures."
Los Angeles Times
NASCAR savvy: See LA Daily News (above)
Their take: "Even if you feel sheepish and abashed the next morning, it is hard to resist smiling at the antics of the NASCAR racing champion with two first names."
Miami Herald
NASCAR savvy: Semi. Homestead hosts the season's final race, and Daytona's just up the road
Their take: "An entire year's worth of ... irresistible nonsense."
New York Times
NASCAR (sorry, "Nascar") savvy: Are you kidding me?
Their take: "a good-hearted spoof of the folkways of stock-car racing."
(Actually, the Times review bears reading just because it's so ... so. Seriously - read it here (reg. req.). Someone please translate the opening paragraph for me.)
Orlando Sentinel
NASCAR savvy: Strong. Daytona's close, and the paper's film critic used to work at the Winston-Salem Journal
Their take: "(a) wildly uneven, PG-13-that-could-be-R comedy that veers from explosively funny, overlong improvs ... to black holes from which no laugh can escape."
Palm Beach Post
NASCAR savvy: Decent. It's in Florida, after all.
Their take: "'Anchorman' was inexplicably popular, so chances are 'Talladega Nights' will satisfy that same easily entertained audience."
Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
NASCAR savvy: None. Unless ISC overcomes local resistance to a track, nearest Cup race will still be about a 50-hour drive away.
Their take: "It is Ferrell's best movie and the summer's funniest comedy so far."
USA Today
NASCAR savvy: They get it.
Their take: "Though the movie about a moronic NASCAR racer overall is uneven and Ricky Bobby's saga lacks focus, the stupid-comical banter and the lampooning of this particular brand of car racing proves entertaining."
So?
6 p.m. update: QED, baby.
Charlotte Observer
NASCAR savvy: Off the charts
Their take (review here): "Mediocre (meaning neither bad not good) ... is an apt description for any of Will Ferrell's sloppy, casually funny comedies, especially "Talladega Nights."
Comments (3)
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You forgot the Arizona Daily Star! With the exception of...me, the people here don't really get the whole NASCAR thing, especially in the Sports department.
I don't think our little paper can disprove your theory but our movie guy had this to say...
"As it stands, 'Talladega Nights' starts off flying but burns out hard after a sublime opening 20 minutes, easing off into cruise control before its inevitable crash."
And...
"Excuse the viewers if they fall asleep at the wheel."
A little cliché but I think that means he didn't like it.
Posted on August 4, 2006 2:04 PM
Wow, Jaynelle. That's one of the few reviews that uses auto terminology. Of course, NASCAR rides don't have cruise control [chuckle] ...
For the record, our little paper doesn't have a film critic/movie reviewer, which is why I'm not posting ours.
Posted on August 4, 2006 2:13 PM
I just saw it... kinda disappointing.
Posted on August 4, 2006 4:50 PM