Campaign, The MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1 Content: -4

Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis. Comedy. Directed by Jay Roach.

FILM SYNOPSIS: A parody of politics with Will Ferrell as the democratic congressman slinging nasty ads at the Republican challenger, an effeminate, naïve man played by Zach Galifanakis, who then returns sling for sling. The makers took from today’s political climate and found it easy to make mockery ranging from witty to downright crude vocal and visual gags. (What’s that, Will Ferrell in a crude comedy? Oh, perish the thought.)

PREVIEW REVIEW: A political satire from this down and dirty age is bound to be just that; elections parodied with much vulgarity, crudity, profanity and, because some candidates run on biblical declarations, even blasphemy. The film ridicules the phoniness of those who will do, say or spend anything in order to win an election. It is a funny movie, but so downright dirty and insensitive to followers of the Christian faith, that I just wanted it to be over.

Our cynicism toward elected officials is nothing new. Will Rogers and Mark Twain used to joke about them, as has every comedian since. But as talented as Mr. Ferrell and Mr. Galifianakis are, they, their director, and the film’s financiers felt a pressure to rely upon raunchiness and irreverence to entertain. Rather than using a more mature wit, such as found in Dr. Strangelove, the range of humor seldom leaves the sophomoric realm of say American Pie antics.

In one scene a candidate attends a service where the church folk are practitioners of snake handling. Once bitten, he spews a jolting tirade of cursings within the church building. A lot of audience members laughed at this outlandishness. I felt, as you might imagine, very uncomfortable. There are several other instances where Jesus is the brunt of jokes and the line is often crossed between the mocking of hypocritical politicians who use the Christian faith to gain support and the faith itself.

Though there are some laugh-out-loud scenes featuring the stars at their comic best, the humor routinely strays from bizarre burlesque to raucous rudeness. This will gain high marks from many a reviewer, most of whom will do little to discourage the acceptance of obscenity and religious ridicule as cinematic entertainment. Personally, when two movie kids began uttering their secrets, which included letting goats at a petting zoo lick their private parts (it gets even more graphic in discussion), I wanted to leave. When Will Ferrell began his cursing tirade in a church as hanging representations of Jesus overlooked the proceedings, I wanted to leave. When a villainous campaign manager utters a tongue lashing toward his candidate with the disrespectful inclusion of Jesus’ name, I wanted to leave.

But I stayed. Merely to do my job. I earned my money last night. I stayed to give you the reason for the rating. This type of humor isn’t going to disturb most of today’s moviegoers. The film will make a lot of money. But I hope you’ll read the content section. I hope my sacrifice wasn’t in vain.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Warner Bros.