Brett Blackburn

A refreshing, light-hearted film packed with hilarity and good music. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I turned this one on. I at least expected the story to lack where the music shone through, or vice versa, but I was glad to be proved wrong. The songs were great, and the story came together perfectly, expertly woven together through antic after antic, in a satisfying, feel-good way. Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell had great chemistry in the lead roles. Where Rachel’s character is loving and talented, Will’s is a blend of laughable and pitiable. Both are a bit “off-beat” as far as main characters go, but the duo never makes you doubt that they’re the perfect kind of zany that the other needs. The subject matter was treated with affection and humor. It was both a parody of and a love note to Euro Vision, with ridiculous and incredible performances from the other competitors, while the underdog-duo Fire Saga kept screwing it up in all the right ways. Lots of subtle humor sprinkled throughout, and plenty of dick jokes to appeal to any audience. It really was a slam dunk.