Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: August 4, 2006
6.5
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 337 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
208
Mixed:
65
Negative:
64
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
5
RikiegeDec 7, 2012
A very crude movie psychologically.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
6
ERG1008Aug 23, 2010
Man becomes NASCAR legend, new French rival, breaks arm, best friend/team mate runs off with wife, returns to racing.
Will Ferrell spoof of NASCAR with a very good supporting cast but not as funny as some of his other work. Sasha Baren CohenMan becomes NASCAR legend, new French rival, breaks arm, best friend/team mate runs off with wife, returns to racing.
Will Ferrell spoof of NASCAR with a very good supporting cast but not as funny as some of his other work. Sasha Baren Cohen camps it up as the OTT Jean Girard & John C Reilly is good as Ferrell's team mate.
Few cameos here & funny moments but no-where near as good as Anchorman.… Expand
1 of 2 users found this helpful11
All this user's reviews
4
BobTDec 18, 2006
The movie is pretty lame, although there are some funny bits. It is more or less a dud like Anchorman, and nowhere near as funny as either Elf or Old School.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
JoshuaS.Aug 11, 2006
If you loved Anchorman or Pootytang, than you'll kind like this movie! Reading the reviews I'm baffled. Do critics even get jokes that aren't references to something else? Where the two aforementioned films littered their If you loved Anchorman or Pootytang, than you'll kind like this movie! Reading the reviews I'm baffled. Do critics even get jokes that aren't references to something else? Where the two aforementioned films littered their screens with humor derived from their settings and characters, this one thinks its enough to pace its jokes meticulously through the plot points. I nearly counted down exactely when the "big painful laugh" moment was coming (the knife scene). While some of the dialogue snapped, "I'll come at you like a spider monkey", much of the editing gave away the jokes timing. Anchorman seemlessly integrated throwaway jokes, this movie mostly throws them away in the name of Nascar and an irrelevant story. Just make me laugh please.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
JohnB.Aug 7, 2006
Come see Ricky Bobby, the patriotic American defend all that is good and right in the land of the red white and blue as he takes on the dreaded gay French! The movie is as much a parody on southern culture as it is a true depiction of Come see Ricky Bobby, the patriotic American defend all that is good and right in the land of the red white and blue as he takes on the dreaded gay French! The movie is as much a parody on southern culture as it is a true depiction of American society. Talladega Nights provides a few comedic moments but Ferrell's goofball humour gets old fast and by the end of the movie, everything seemed to become forced. Good for a few snickers, a couple laughs and a lot of blank staring.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
DaveK.Aug 9, 2006
They tried, but not too funny. I thought Gary Cole was the funniest in the movie, laughed a few times at Will, but other than that it was filled with mostly not funny material. Soooo many characters were not needed (aka Blonde pit crew They tried, but not too funny. I thought Gary Cole was the funniest in the movie, laughed a few times at Will, but other than that it was filled with mostly not funny material. Soooo many characters were not needed (aka Blonde pit crew member, the kids, wife's dad) Not Ferell/Reily's best work...i'll go pop in Anchorman/Wedding Crashers… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MusicaliD.Aug 16, 2006
Funny? Yes. Boring? Double yes. This movie has a couple of bits that are quite funny, but more often than not, I was bored, bored, bored. So slow and a lot of the jokes fell flat. I thought the "dear baby jesus" parts could have been cut Funny? Yes. Boring? Double yes. This movie has a couple of bits that are quite funny, but more often than not, I was bored, bored, bored. So slow and a lot of the jokes fell flat. I thought the "dear baby jesus" parts could have been cut out, they just dragged on and on. I don't think his dad needed to be in the film at all. However, the races looked pretty amazing. I had high hopes and was dissappointed. It's not on par with Anchorman.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
AMovieCriticAug 18, 2006
It was alright. The first half was fairly funny, but there just weren't enough jokes in the 2nd half, and the last half hour of the movie just seemed unbearable to sit through. I don't know...just got old. I also think Will It was alright. The first half was fairly funny, but there just weren't enough jokes in the 2nd half, and the last half hour of the movie just seemed unbearable to sit through. I don't know...just got old. I also think Will Ferrell's trying too hard. He just seems a bit desperate for laughs, and it's not as funny as Anchorman. The sentimental scenes were also really, REALLY boring. I also thought the movie was really too tame...I think if they went for an R-rating instead, it could have been a lot funnier. Plenty of jokes in the movie relied on the old "kids swearing" type of humor and just like last years remake of The Bad News Bears, it would have been funnier if what the kids said was actually shocking....but in a PG-13 movie, I guess they weren't able to have it. Even as PG-13, though, I thought Anchorman pushed the envelope a lot more than Talladega Nights does. This movie just seems way too tame, as if Ferrel is targeting a younger audience. Those issues aside, though, it was funny enough in the first half to keep the movie a C+. Not quite worth recommending but it was funny enough.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
DrewF.Aug 5, 2006
There are two things that are exceptionally funny in this film: 1) Gary Cole. That guy is just criminally underrated. 2) The joke about the film "THE HIGHLANDER". I admit that Ferrell's brand of "Throw everything possible at you and There are two things that are exceptionally funny in this film: 1) Gary Cole. That guy is just criminally underrated. 2) The joke about the film "THE HIGHLANDER". I admit that Ferrell's brand of "Throw everything possible at you and hope SOMETHING sticks" of comedy just isn't my bag. I like sharp, smart , well-executed comedy. This film features none of the above. Never thought i'd see the day that John C Reilly disappointed me, but here we are. Movie does have some laughs, but overall a waste of time.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
MichaelB.Aug 6, 2006
This is a completely un-exceptional film. As Mendy said, there are a few laughs here and there, but not enough to recommend this movie to anyone.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
TomBAug 8, 2006
Pretty disappointing. Not a gutsy enough satire to be truly funny. I laughed a few times, sure, but most of it was pretty by-the-numbers and not terribly funny. It's not one-tenth as funny as Anchorman.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
BillyS.Aug 21, 2006
The latest Saturday Night Live alumni with a good idea for a 4 minute skit but stretching the joke out to a full length feature that fails miserably, again. The best part of this Will Ferrell movie was the preview for Stranger Than Fiction The latest Saturday Night Live alumni with a good idea for a 4 minute skit but stretching the joke out to a full length feature that fails miserably, again. The best part of this Will Ferrell movie was the preview for Stranger Than Fiction which looks nothing like SNL and resembles Jim Carrey's move when he did The Truman Show. As for Taledega Nights, you can only make one joke funny so long before it becomes annoying and if it wasn't for Sacha Baron Cohen as the gay French rival it would have been annoying after 10 minutes. John C. Reilly would have been the better choice for Ricky Bobby and once again proves why he's the best second-banana working today.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MendyC.Aug 5, 2006
Something was off about this movie. There are a few good laughs here and there but I kept thinking of so many different funnier directions the writers could have taken this movie. Bottom line: meh.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
TomS.Aug 8, 2006
It had a lot of good bits in it, but also a lot of headscratching elements. For instance, why do we need to see the kids so much? And the blond guy in the pit-crew was a total waste of screen time. I thought that will ferrell actually got It had a lot of good bits in it, but also a lot of headscratching elements. For instance, why do we need to see the kids so much? And the blond guy in the pit-crew was a total waste of screen time. I thought that will ferrell actually got out-shined by John C. Reilly and Gary Cole, not to mention Ali G. You'll laugh at least a few times, but i gotta believe there's a better satire of nascar still waiting to be done.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
RICKYBOBBYAug 8, 2006
This movie left me with a bitter taste in my mouth. For every funny part there were 2 lame ones.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
MIGUELGARCIASep 22, 2006
Not my type of sense of humour. Rather silly and childish
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
S.L.O.Sep 3, 2006
Disappointing. I love nearly all of Farrell, Reilly and Cohen's work, but this is a generally unfunny stinker. Great cast (the aforementioned as well as Jane Lynch and Gary Cole) and lots of positive, trustworthy reviews, some of which Disappointing. I love nearly all of Farrell, Reilly and Cohen's work, but this is a generally unfunny stinker. Great cast (the aforementioned as well as Jane Lynch and Gary Cole) and lots of positive, trustworthy reviews, some of which went so far as to suggest that "Talladega ..." is funnier than "Anchorman," which is utter ........ .". I went in with high hopes, which were dashed fairly quickly. Few of the jokes worked, and it felt as though much of the dialogue resulted from uninspired improvisation. The only consistently satisfying perfomances came from the young actors playing Ricky Bobby's foul-mouthed children. But little kids shouting dirty words can't sustain an entire film. Save your dough on this one. Will Farrell has jumped the damned shark.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
EldonDec 14, 2006
Hilarious... if it hasn't gone over your head, which it clearly has for some reviewers here. Get a clue! And get a sense humor. Geez.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
TylerK>Aug 14, 2006
Few rip-roaring laughs, mostly falls flat, and awkwardly is reaching throughout the movie. Gary Cole delivers nicely as Ferrell's dad. There is little chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly, and mostly this move is scraping the bottom of Few rip-roaring laughs, mostly falls flat, and awkwardly is reaching throughout the movie. Gary Cole delivers nicely as Ferrell's dad. There is little chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly, and mostly this move is scraping the bottom of the barrell for poking fun at the Nascar subculture of America and doesn't click. Poor acting and even worse script doesn't help.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
5
MatthewL.Dec 15, 2007
This was a hit and miss film. There were some funny parts, but there were bits that failed to make me laugh out loud. The "friends, then enemies, then back to friends, then back to enemies" was a bizarre pattern that was unfunny. Plus, it This was a hit and miss film. There were some funny parts, but there were bits that failed to make me laugh out loud. The "friends, then enemies, then back to friends, then back to enemies" was a bizarre pattern that was unfunny. Plus, it also runs out of gas towards the end.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
ChuckNov 22, 2007
Cliche! Not very original. Probably Will Farrell's worst.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
ZilcellMay 31, 2012
The story is a bit sloppy but it makes up for it by being very funny. Will Ferrell is not as good as Anchorman but its got a few exciting and funny moments.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
Luke_McLaughlinAug 2, 2013
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is an absolute comedic romp. There is no part of this film that was founded on a proper plot structure or deeply interesting characters, but all that aside this film is down right hilarious. FerrellTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is an absolute comedic romp. There is no part of this film that was founded on a proper plot structure or deeply interesting characters, but all that aside this film is down right hilarious. Ferrell and Reilly are a brilliant comedic duo, McKay flexes his directing brilliance, and the rest of the cast produces laughs on top of laughs. It is crude, rude, and unfortunate at more times that seldom. If you like Ferrell, you'll love this, and if you hate Farrell avoid at all costs. Talladega Nights has a lot to offer, not in cinematic elements, but in laughs.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
6
RayzorMooseNov 13, 2013
Talladega Nights rides with no class.
Ricky Bobby is successful in the way that nearly all Ferrel movies are, funny. The story is mediocre, and in some places non existent, but in the end it is a comedy movie not a work of art.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
amheretojudgeFeb 24, 2019
One More Lap.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby McKay drives the energy of the film with his witty improv comic skills and impenetrable confidence in his silliness. I have barely witnessed any other filmmaker speak soOne More Lap.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby

McKay drives the energy of the film with his witty improv comic skills and impenetrable confidence in his silliness. I have barely witnessed any other filmmaker speak so effervescently and with conviction on the most bourgeois discussion or detail in a film. And it is that clean crisp goofiness in his film that makes it thoroughly entertaining. He is well aware of each character's background, logistics and actions. Using that very information, he draws in most of the laughs. From pointing out the vibration of the stadium or the corruption of the ticket holders, Adam McKay; the co-writer and director, never loses the grasp over his vision.

And then adding the right ingredient is Will Ferrell- the writing partner of McKay- playing the role of a childish NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby whose uncouth language; something that runs on generation, is the least bit of fun you are about to get. The real laughs are drawn in when Ferrell is set loose to improvise and run the film on his own, stripping down in the middle of a car race, series of monologues that describes inappropriate endorsements and let's face it, the good old trash talk.

Speaking of which, receiving the other end of the trash talk is Sacha Baron Cohen as his rival, is hilarious while racing and also keeping himself busy with other activities at the same time. Completing this dream team is John C. Reilly as the last piece of the puzzle, who with his brotherhood issues convinces you along with Ferrell to be his friend, no matter how rude he grows to him. Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby is exactly what you would expect from these group of guys, McKay's thorough investigation on the lifestyle of these bratty drivers is a satisfying and malleable sketchy ride.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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