The Campaign

I’m a fan of quality comedies, but this film really doesn’t belong in the category of good comedies. At first, I thought the cast was very interesting and that it would surely deliver funny scenes and a decent story. While there are funny moments in the film, they are far outnumbered by the cringeworthy ones, of which there were plenty. I don’t know why, but I don’t think they can win over the audience this way. Otherwise, I liked Will Ferrell the most, as he performed a bit better than Zach Galifianakis. I hope that American productions will come out with a truly great comedy in the coming years. I give this film 60%. (10/08/2016)

The Campaign contains some proper humor by Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell. One of them is pretty humble and inconspicuous and the other one is incredibly cheeky, racist and offensive. Together, it results in an incredibly funny blend that will knock you off your seat with laughter at least two or three times during the short time. I also like the way the authors criticize their own American nation. And the saddest thing is that the things that happen until the 75th minute are pretty much the same as what happens here. If it weren’t for the last ten minutes, I would have felt a bit sad actually. But what can you do, we are in Hollywood and here even the most disgusting things in politics in a comedy movie simply must end up the way they do in this movie. And I am happy about that. It can produce much more positive emotions than thinking about the way things are in our country. And you know what? The American self-criticism contained in this movie was definitely on point, which makes me like this movie even more. (05/01/2014)

The biggest asset is the casting of solid comedians, but it seems to me that the film was only running at half throttle. I laughed a couple of times and wasn't bored, but given the premise and the actors a lot more could have been done – the attack on the kid and the dog were pretty over the top, though. 60% (02/06/2016)

With the honorable exception of Stranger Than Fiction, where I didn't know if something was wrong with Will or with me because I was fascinated by it, I tend to usually ignore Ferrell's work. The Campaign fits perfectly into his embarrassingly poor productions. It's not that it doesn't have a few brighter moments, but it's just too coarse and cheap. I prefer smarter and more sophisticated humor. Overall impression: 25%. (08/03/2018)

It reminded me a bit of the successful Trading Places and I was wondering if I had already seen the movie, but the quite likeable cast (Ferrell is always great) made me finish the film. It's also just over an hour and a half long, so it's survivable without consequences. I even laughed and entertained myself occasionally, but honestly I didn't expect much, so I'm actually quite satisfied and don't regret seeing the movie. However, I don't need to see it again, if ever, for a long time... 50% (18/02/2014)

Will Ferrell once again plays the same character he played perhaps only in Stranger Than Fiction, an overly unhealthily confident jerk whose center of the universe is himself. This time, however, besides being stupid, he's also really mean, and I didn't like that very much, because even though he was mean in a rather funny way at times, he still only made me laugh with two fist punches (I don't want to give it away). I liked Zach Galifianakis better (but I'm not sure that was always the intention) and John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd were excellent. The ending is a great pity which, compared to the previous rampage, seemed somehow exhausted. (20/11/2014)

I admit that I'm not a fan of political films, even when it comes to comedies or parodies. It would have to be a really good parody, but that’s not the case with The Campaign. The characters here are caricatures, and that's the main problem because you know exactly how they will behave in order for the story to twist at the end, and they do something big. The pairing of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis guarantees at least some humor, although it’s usually not groundbreaking. Occasionally, there's a good joke that makes you laugh, but ultimately, it’s just another crude and unrefined comedy. It’s vulgar, it’s harsh, but in my humble opinion, it’s not good. Ferrell and Galifianakis show how capable they are of playing odd characters; Galifianakis goes so far as to be basically a gay candidate, while Ferrell is the quintessential American. Who does America want more? A man of the people who talks like a guy with something shoved up his backside, probably something pink, or a person who has no brains but can act according to the script given to him? Yes, in the end, it doesn’t really matter because we mustn't forget the message the film conveys at the end. No, I just can’t buy that. In my opinion, it’s a very unnecessary film that received funding that could have been better utilized. (04/03/2013)