Die Eisprinzen

From the very first second I laid eyes on the absolutely hilarious poster for this film, in my neighborhood multiplex a few months ago, I knew with extreme certainty that I'd be seeing it the very first week it opened. Caught it on Wednesday and I'm here to say the movie most definitely delivers on the promise of the poster, big time.

Jon Heder finally gets a role he can have some fun with for a change (which hasn't really happened since Napoleon Dynamite), and he's superbly cast as the sheltered and phobic Jimmy MacElroy, the perfect foil for Ferrell's sex machine on skates, Chazz Michael Michaels. Ferrell is fast becoming more and more adept at portraying genuine characters in his movies, not merely hollow caricatures, and he is clearly in his element here.

The beginning of the movie, the set-up, is wonderfully written, and the over-the-top tone that's established in these opening scenes is successfully carried throughout. The energy level stays high, the plot never gets tedious or bogged down, and, best of all, the routines that the two of them perform together as partners are truly hilarious and original. I was left wanting more, and that speaks volumes.

I first saw this movie on a plane flight. Oh dear ! My hysterical laughter didn't go down too well with some fellow passengers. I had an interest in the movie from the start having been an ice skater some years ago. What a great mix of pure comedy and outrageous farce this movie is. Two guys who hate each other forced to make a skating-pair. Ferrell is full on, Heder is petulant. It's clash of two diverse personalities forced to perform as a pair on ice. It is so very funny and ranks as my 2nd favourite comedy movie of all time after "Airplane" (1980)

BLADES OF GLORY seems like a natural follow-up to Will Farrell's TALLADEGA NIGHTS, as its spirit and silliness are sure reminiscent of this wonderful comedy. However, here the setting is ice skating and Jon Heder ("Napoleon Dynamite") is also the co-star.

The film begins with Heder and Farrell tying for the gold medal in the world championship that is obviously supposed to be the Olympics. However, the Olympics are an extremely litigious organization and would have sued the studio for every penny they could get, so the Olympic trademark rings were changed and the word "Olympics" never were uttered in the film. Despite both men winning the men's individual gold, however, they were bitter rivals and began a hilarious fight on the podium--with horribly unexpected results. In retaliation, the men are stripped of their medals and banned from Men's Figure Skating. However, later they learn that this did NOT mean that they could not compete in pairs and they men create the most unusual skating team in history!! Now before you read on, it's very, very important that if you see the film you are the type person who can suspend disbelief. Sure, the moves they make aren't legal, two guys are NOT allowed to skate in pairs skating and the film is chock-full of impossibilities....and don't even get me started on the ending!! The bottom line is that if you are a nit-picking twit, you'll drive yourself crazy making sense of the impossibilities in the movie. My advice is to resist this urge strongly and just sit back and enjoy. The film is hilarious and it's amazing to see Farrell and Heder skate as well as they did (though it's obvious that some CGI was used--believe me, NO ONE could do much of what was done in the film!).

Original and exceptionally silly and stupid, this is a great "turn off your brain and enjoy" sort of film (much like TALLADEGA NIGHTS). While I often like very cerebral films and art films, sometimes I just need a liberal does of stupid and fun and this film fits the bill very nicely.

What can I say? The whole theater laughed during this whole movie. There were a few cheap laughs and some very obvious jokes thrown in, but the delivery was par for the course as far as Farrell is concerned. In other words, if Farrell is your kind of comedic character, you'll love this movie. If, say, Hugh Grant is your idea of a comic character, you'll probably hate this movie. Will Farrell's character was essentially Ron Burgundy on ice skates, which is a great idea. Ron Burgundy was, of course, the embodiment of the so-called "alpha-masculine" persona of the '70s and '80s. - unabashedly proud, sexist, and narcissistic. Put him into a sport that in many peoples' eyes in inherently effeminate and you've got a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

Jon Heder was a little less Napolean Dynamite-ish in this movie. He is still the same innocent, ignorant, nerdy, awkward person as in his debut character. That said, he is a little more image-aware in this character, and as the movie progressed I saw less Napolean Dynamite (a major problem in his career until now, IMO), and I saw more of this "other" character. Heder's character is hard to describe other than to say it is Napolean Dynamite combined with Derek Zoolander - a lovable ignorant narcissist. Put that on ice skates opposite Ron Burgundy the figure skater and you have 93 minutes of great fun.

What really makes this film work is Farrell's willingness to do anything in a movie and Heder's reluctance to do such things. They are polar opposites as far as comedic actors and their comedic emphasis are concerned. But those two personalities really work well to complement each other on screen in this film. 8/10

Blades of Glory is the story of Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrel) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder), two rival ice skaters banned from competition after a podium brawl at an "Olympic" event. After Jimmy's stalker finds a loophole in the rulebook (yes, you read that right), the pair join forces to reclaim their rightful position at the top of the skating rankings.

While it follows the predictable rise, fall, and rise again pattern of most comedies, Blades of Glory is different enough to be memorable. The costumes are ridiculous, the set-pieces are brilliant (including a very awkward chase sequence involving a crossbow and an unfortunate mascot), and the performances, what these films hinge on, are excellent.

The Ferrel-Heder exchanges are drenched with homoeroticism, and their struggles to come to terms with each other's lifestyles (Ferrel: "I'm a sex addict. It's my cross to bear" and Heder: "If you can dream it, you can do it!") are funny enough to carry the film for large sections. The supporting performances of the Waldenbergs (Will Arnett, Amy Poelher, and Jenna Fischer) fill in the gaps successfully, their conversations charged with an unusual mix of villainy and incestuous desire. Then of course there are the skating scenes, which are quite a sight to behold, in all their spandex-and-diamonds splendour.

Overall, Blades of Glory is hilarious. Pretty much every aspect of it is fantastically overblown, and it keeps you laughing quite steadily for its 90-minute running time. Boom!