Will Ferrell is the Laziest Person in Hollywood
I saw Semi-Pro last week and found myself agreeing with the critical mass, that the movie was in fact terrible. The jokes were lame, the plot was extremely formulaic, and the basketball scenes didn't look real at all (the clips of the Tropics gaining their competitive edge show them throwing up 15 straight alley-oops, to the bewilderment of everyone in the arena). Some people I know took the stance of Bill Simmons (The Sports Guy on espn.com), in that the movie might have signaled the troublesome future of sports movies in general, but my problems with the movie stem largely from how downright offensive it is to see Will Ferrell completely mail it in.
Granted, on the scale of offensive things the lazy performance of a leading man doesn't itself warrant an uproar. The movie wasn't offensive in any way that's "important"; it wasn't racist, sexist, or homophobic. But it was offensive to see a star such as Ferrell, insulated from the world around him, seem to sincerely believe that people would want to see him re-treading a character and idea he had 10 years ago. To see Semi-Pro is to see one of America's leading comedic stars making total suckers out of all who had faith in him.
The film represents a complete tailspin in Will Ferrell's career. We are currently witnessing a star slide into complete irrelevance and self-parody. If you've been keeping track he has now made the same movie three times in a row - Talladega Nights, Blades of Glory, and now Semi-Pro. Throw in Anchorman, which is think is only fair, and he's actually played the same character in the same type of movie for four films running. His last successful starring comedic role as someone else was back in 2003's Elf (maybe Bewitched if you want to count that).
This movie that he consistently stars in can be called "Mr. Arrogant." Not necessarily the most clever title but certainly fitting; in this movie Will plays a man whose past glory has given him the world's largest ego and a complete lack of self-awareness (Rob Burgundy, comically arrogant newscaster. Ricky Bobby, comically arrogant NASCAR driver. Character in Blades of Glory/Semi-Pro: comically arrogant figure skater/basketball player). This is exhibited in the genius removal of his shirt in most cases, but is also accompanied by a ridiculous fall from grace and a happy conclusion. The real kicker, however, is, get this, he wears funny clothes! It's as if a studio exec or Mr. Ferrell was reading the script and reacted, "it's got decent jokes, but what if make the characters have silly hair and we put them in suits from the 1970s; it'll be twice as zany!"
I get that Anchorman made a lot of money and won many fans for Ferrell that might have found his work in films like Old School too subtle. Anchorman is a very funny and very quotable movie (Talladega Nights only marginally). I also understand that he has little motivation to try and be funny at all anymore. He's getting paid millions of dollars to hang out with his buddies and wear costumes that would make for a hilarious Facebook picture, so why would he focus on being funny himself? He can keep his credibility by appearing in two-minute videos on funnyordie.com and mail it in the rest of the time.
It's just frustrating because the guy obviously has a lot of talent. I laughed so hard the first two times I saw Old School, especially when he shoots himself with the tranquilizer dart, I thought I might die right there on the sticky floor of the South Burlington movie theater. He made me laugh so hard I feared for my life. His "Best of" from Saturday Night Live, including the passive aggressive dog training seen in the skit, "Dissing your dog," is priceless. And I loved seeing him flex his more dramatic chops in Stranger than Fiction, a bewilderingly underrated movie. So I want to make it clear I'm the type of guy you'd expect to see in Ferrell's a corner. He has provided me with some great times and I wish him all the best. But that best includes snapping out of this routine and getting back to work making me laugh. And I have one simple suggestion that I think will help this process: wear normal clothes.
What all the great performances listed above have in common is that they have Ferrell in a relatable wardrobe, looking like a normal guy. He excels as the average suburbanite, as a Frank the Tank ready to bust loose. This is the type of performance that makes even his family soccer movie, Kicking and Screaming, worth watching. His best skits, including "dissing your dog," the "Get off the shed!" series, and when he works for the Cat Toy company, all show him as a relatable, normal guy, being incredibly funny.
Some people are perhaps funnier when in a ridiculous outfit; for example, Mike Myers (though we'll see if this continues with The Love Guru). But Will Ferrell is not one of them, and even if he were it's very rare that a movie will be successful when one of the core jokes is how silly the characters look in period costumes. That's why anyone could tell Semi-Pro was in trouble from the trailer; the whole thing revolved around a) how ridiculous it is for a bad basketball team in Flint, Michigan to be called the "Tropics," and b) they have afro's (!) and short shorts (!), and talk like people making fun of Shaft (!). Same thing happened with Blades of Glory. It's not like the studio tried to hide it. The preview was about how two guys were wearing spandex and participating in a wussy sport, even though one of them was an arrogant, womanizing macho man (I'll give you a guess who).
It is infuriating to see Ferrell be so lazy and show such little regard for his audience. I mean, he was promoting Semi-Pro like he thought it might actually be good. Those Old Spice commercials of him in tiny shorts make it seem as if he thought the joke still wasn't done, not even after four movies. Did he really not think this movie was going to be bad? (SIDENOTE: this raises an unrelated yet entirely compelling question: can brilliantly funny people all of a sudden wake up one day and no longer be funny? We've seen dramatic and sudden declines in the comedic careers of some of the world's funniest men: Eddie Murphy, Chevy Chase, and now Will Ferrell. These guys were comic gold until, one day, they weren't. Even Bill Murray had a complete dry spell before Wes Anderson revived him. Is it that these guys fly too close to the sun, and fall to earth hard, leaving their sense of humor somewhere near the heavens? A question for another day.)
Hopefully the box office numbers (a paltry $29.8 million over three weeks) will echo through the walls of Hollywood, and that the public has finally spoken. It might be too much to ask that the studios make the right call, but I'm more hopeful that Ferrell, if not his character(s), will finally get humbled and realize he might actually have to try on the next one, and put back on some normal clothes.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I agree with the writer of this column, this movie is vacuous tripe. But, this movie is no more vacuous than 99% of the tripe we are served up as entertainment.
Will Ferrell's success is a mystery to me. It is like quantam physics, I know it exists, but, I do not have time to ponder how it works.
Can you say "fat paycheck"? I've never really understood his appeal, either, but he might as well milk it while he can.
Newsflash: Will Ferrell's never been funny. This is a man who built a career out of whacking a cowbell on Saturday Night Live. I dare anyone to find a moment, whether on television, film, or in real life, where Will Ferrell has actually been funny. Take all the time you'll need, because you won't find one.
"Mailing it in"? How the hell could you tell?
will ferrell's snl "best of" videos are hilarious. his movies aren't nearly as funny as his sketch comedy, but still, he's usually good enough for a few laughs no matter what he's doing. yeah, you don't share the same sense of humor: so what?
get over yourself.
you brought up the cowbell scene, which you know to be funny.
'last time i checked, we didn't have too many songs that featured the cowbell; and if THE bruce dickinson is asking us for more cowbell...."
his skits with ana gastheyer (?) playing the frumpy old couple who sing current pop songs to school kids - also hilarious. Morning Latte. The Ultimate Cheer.
Harry Carey - "if you were a hot dog, and you were starving to death - would you eat yourself?"
didn't see the movie - haven't seen any of his movies. doesn't mean he's not funny. in fact, jack donaldson wrote this rant because he's mad at ferrell for making a sucker out of him.
still doesn't mean ferrell's not funny.
i refuse to watch another ferrell movie after blades and talladega. they weren't funny. a few sight gags, but for the most part tasteless and unimaginative. i've read also that ferrell is a jackhole to fans. so screw 'im.
He was ranked as the worst autograph signer last year.
And he really is so far above the typical one-note comic actor, that it's a disgrace to see him sink to this.
If I could make millions of dollars for myself by playing an over-grown, loudmouthed man-child over and over and over, I most definitely would. I would read all the horrible reviews as my manservant serves me iced coffee on my Malibu mansion balcony.
But I have no great talent for acting. Ferrell has proven his ability. Perhaps someday he'll again show us how good he can be. And hopefully before he makes too many shitty movies that his fans stop caring.
STRANGER THAN FICTION was absolutely brilliant. Amazing writing, wonderful performances, it's one of the best American films to come out in years. And, of course, it highlights the talents of Mr. Ferrell to perfection -- I became an instant fan of his.
Many of his other films are indeed awful, but that's a matter of the script and the studio that puts the thing out. From what I can see, his performances in those "awful" films make the movie a bit better than it really should be.
For those that doubt Mr. Ferrell's enormous talent, watch STRANGER THAN FICTION.
word. STF
czarlos As someone who has witnessed Will Ferrell in action on the set of this movie, I am going to have to disagree with your thesis
As someone who has witnessed WIll Ferell in action playing the same character in these movies I'm going to have to counter argue your counter argument. I could care less about hilarious extras that didn't make it into the movie. Ferrell has enough clout to get anything in he wants. Case closed. He must know at this point that he risks becoming a foot note in comedy if he he even comes close to repeating that same character. The guy has plenty of bread so he doesn't have to slum it for the masses anymore. You'd be surprised how successful a good comedy can be. I think people still go to those. I wouldn't know though, because it's been so long since there's been one.
O.K. some comedians who were great in their early years only to suck out loud later on. Steve Martin, Dan Ayckroyd, John Candy, Eugene Levy(Excepting the Guest stuff)Martin Short, BIlly Crystal, Chris Farley, Dana Carvey,Rick Moranis, Jim Carrey, Mel Brooks.
Very true. Most comedians/comediennes have a very short shelf life. There's not much in the well once they hit it big. Most have no depth and have very limited abilities as actors. Once they give it up, that's it.
It isn't true of everyone (Bill Murray has done some fine dramatic work, along with Robin Williams), but the majority of them it is.
elbowguts See Profile I'm a Fan of elbowguts
The real surprise is that it took you this long to realize that Will Ferrell is an untalented one-note buffoon. Chevy Chase did his best work *before* SNL in The Groove Tube.
The Groove Tube? Are you serious? He's barely in it. One fake ad where his voice is seemingly dubbed, and the four leaf clover bit. I would say that was Richard Belzer's best work, but not Chevy's.
That was the joke you see. The best work Chevy Chase has done is having some guy smack him on the head while he sings "I'm looking over a four leaf clover."
The comment was serious, but meant to be funny in an ironic sort of way. But of course it's spoiled by explaining it.
Lazy? What is lazier than actually watching a Will Ferrell film?
Mooks like Ferrell or Seth Rogan are single note shills working in a single note industry. There is absolutely no reason for any intelligent person over the age of 20 to sit through their crap. Unless of course you are higher than a kite. Then it's freaking hilarious.
"Unless of course you are higher than a kite..."
good enough reason for me -- bring on the popcorn.
Many fans of Ferrell, Seth Rogen, and others say it's better to watch their films stoned and/or drunk. Hell, if you're stoned or drunk, everything's funnier.
It's not much of an endoresment.
"The movie wasn't offensive in any way that's "important"; it wasn't racist, sexist, or homophobic."-- As a lifelong liberal, I too take offense to racism, sexism, and homophobia. But the notion that the "big three" are the only "important" ways of offending people is part of why it's so hard for liberals to win general elections, and leads me to believe that Mr. Donaldson may also be "insulated from the world around him." Unless we prove that we can be attuned of the sensitivities of those who aren't black, female, or gay, we'll be swearing in President McCain next winter. Being more tolerant of religions, morality, ethnic identifications--no matter how silly we think they are--isn't only good politics, it's good liberalism.
I hope you laughed at yourself troll, because no one else is amused. Take your dumbed-down 'humor' to one of the neo-con idiot sites.
Let's also add Jim Carrey and Robin Williams to that list of bad comedy actors. Each has proven to be find dramatic actors but unfortunately they behave like 5 year olds who have not be reigned in by doting parents. They are not funny but merely annoying. They seem to think they are channeling Jonathan Winters but he is far superior. Let them stick to the dramatic acting because they stink when they try to be "funny".
All comedy has a shelf life - some types shorter than others.
Will Ferrell. Movie. Lame. Nuff sed.
Personally, it seems everything Will Ferrill has done is an excuse to prance around in his underwear -- repetitively not funny.
The real surprise is that it took you this long to realize that Will Ferrell is an untalented one-note buffoon. Chevy Chase did his best work *before* SNL in The Groove Tube.
The guy who said you have to have danger in comedy was right on: look at how funny Belushi could be without speaking a word (as the Samurai *****). Same thing with Steve Martin back when we could all "Get Small". His pace alone made you feel like he could go off the tracks at any moment.
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
