Frank's Movie Log

Grade: C+

Synopsis: Racer Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) finds his life turned upside down by the arrival of a French driver (Sacha Baron Cohen).

Talladega Nights could be considered an in-spirit sequel to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, but where as the former is all bubble-gum, Talladega Nights tries to go a little deeper and tell a genuine story about a boy and his father. Unfortunately the movie can’t change gears as smoothly as its title character and you can almost hear the transmission grinding whenever the movie tries to take itself seriously.

That’s not to say its all bad. As a satire of middle-class America, Talladega works very well, and if the creators had chosen this as the meat of their movie, the end result might have been a classic. Instead you’ve got some great laughs broken up by a b-movie drama.

Bottom Line: If you liked Anchorman, Talladega will be worth a look, just lower your expectations.