Featured Audience Ratings

• Directors C

  
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• paul s

  
  Well, what did I expect? Will Ferrel has made a career out of a certain brand of low brow comedy, and he certainly isn't stretching here. Yes, there are a few pearls amongst the swine, but you'd expect that in using the scatter gun brand of comedy (throw a hundred jokes at… More
  Well, what did I expect? Will Ferrel has made a career out of a certain brand of low brow comedy, and he certainly isn't stretching here. Yes, there are a few pearls amongst the swine, but you'd expect that in using the scatter gun brand of comedy (throw a hundred jokes at the wall and see what sticks - or stinks as the case may be). Case in point; when bumpkin political nominee Zach Galifianikis asks his family for honesty, many a joke follows, with a couple of stinkers and only one nice one - it's such an obvious set up and chance for the writers to riff and show off their chops. Take this scene as a whole and you may mildly smile, which is my overall assessment of the film. It is also easy to say that Zach isn't really stretching in this film either - so you end up with two antagonists who are exactly who you'd expect them to be, a plus I guess, if you were looking for exactly that. But for me, I expected more - perhaps a wicked commentary of our seriously broken political system... but there is nothing here that isn't over the top obvious - even the billionaire brothers trying to buy the campaign... hmmm, perhaps a send up of the Koch brothers - but to call them the Moch brothers... well, hopefully you see my point. Further, the talents of Dan Ackroyd and John Lithgow are wasted as the two brothers. They are given very little to do or say, even though their greed first and only philosophy should have been ripe for lampooning. Brian Cox is similarly wasted as Zach's father, an old time political war horse in the pocket of the Moch bros. Seriously, the only characters who are truly humorous are that of Cox's maid (a Chinese woman paid extra to talk like a plantation mammy), and Dylan McDermott as a slick (and slightly sinister) campaign "fixer". The film has decent pacing and a few chuckles, but, for me at least, will be forgotten tomorrow.

• Thomas J

  
  Zack Galifanakis far outshone Will Farrell in this typical Will Ferrell style comedy.

• Daniel P

  
  Not Ferrell's best turn, but he's done much worse. And Zach Galifianakis isn't doing much you haven't seen before, rolling his Seth Galifianakis character into his role a bumpkin-cum-politician Marty Huggins. But what you see really is what you get: two talented… More
  Not Ferrell's best turn, but he's done much worse. And Zach Galifianakis isn't doing much you haven't seen before, rolling his Seth Galifianakis character into his role a bumpkin-cum-politician Marty Huggins. But what you see really is what you get: two talented comic foils going at each other for 90 minutes. The story is a bit thin but the supporting cast is also funny. There can be only one Anchorman in Ferrell's career - even if he is making a sequel, I fear - and this isn't it. That doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the movie. It's a comedy... laugh already.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  three stars!

• JY S

  
  Jay Roach's poke at American politics through <i>The Campaign</i> has its hits and also its misses.<p>At only 80+ minutes of screen time, <i>The Campaign</i> has very little time to stop the comedy. The story quickly gets to the point and never lets… More
  Jay Roach's poke at American politics through <i>The Campaign</i> has its hits and also its misses.<p>At only 80+ minutes of screen time, <i>The Campaign</i> has very little time to stop the comedy. The story quickly gets to the point and never lets go until the very end, which is an easy follow and watch since the comedy takes the front and center stage for this one.</p><p>A lot of the humor revolves around crude sexual content and it does get old pretty fast. Nonetheless, the constant dropping of f-bombs and comedic antic after comedic antic is certain to induce some laughter.</p><p>Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis work well together in a film of this caliber. Dylan McDermott has an interesting character and everyone else fills in the rest of the cast as necessary.</p><p><i>The Campaign</i> is neither a total loss or a home run. It is a one time viewing with some laughs.</p>

• Candy R

  
  Funny comedy about two men running for congress. If you like Anchorman or Blades of Glory you will like this movie.

• Everett J

  
  I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, so it's shocking that it took me this long to watch this. Ferrell plays Cam Brady a long term democratic congressman, and Zach plays Marty Huggins his Republican opponent. Each are weird, over the top, and hilarious.… More
  I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis, so it's shocking that it took me this long to watch this. Ferrell plays Cam Brady a long term democratic congressman, and Zach plays Marty Huggins his Republican opponent. Each are weird, over the top, and hilarious. Full of crazy situations, like Brady punching a baby in the face. Along with numerous one liners( "When my boy calls you daddy, I f*** your wife!"). This is a good, goofy hard R comedy, that never really goes too far in a way that would off put some people. Easily one of Ferrell's better comedies of the last few years, that stands up nicely to some of his better works like "Old School" and "Talladega Nights". If you need a good laugh, then definitely check this out. Especially after the crazy election year we've had, this is a perfect movie to make everyone on both sides of the fence to laugh.

• Melvin W

  
  Marty Huggins: Bring your brooms cause it's a mess.  "May The Best Loser Win" I guess I expected too much from The Campaign. What I got was a dry and rather disappointing political satire that substitutes intelligent jokes for stupid slapstick and sexually explicit… More
  Marty Huggins: Bring your brooms cause it's a mess.  "May The Best Loser Win" I guess I expected too much from The Campaign. What I got was a dry and rather disappointing political satire that substitutes intelligent jokes for stupid slapstick and sexually explicit material. I love movies that can input the two, but also include some jokes that are slightly more subtle. The Campaign goes over the top with every single political jab. There's nothing here that is funny because of political facts.  Will Farrell used his best Bush voice and gave a ridiculous performance as Cam Brady, the incumbent. I like Will Farrell, but I can't really respect his work here, despite the fact that he was just doing the same old thing again. Zack Galifinakis plays Marty Huggins, the newcomer to the game of politics. His character is a slow, but good guy. I also like Galifinakis, but his character has been done to many times before and it's all so boring, pointless, and dry. The Campaign is about a campaign obviously. Brady is seeking his 5th term as Congressman for the 14th district of North Carolina. He plans on running unopposed, but when he does something stupid(which is the only thing he seems to do), a pair of corporate heads get a newbie to run against him. From there it is a lot of over the top and obvious political war jokes. Some may work, but for the most part, the jokes are tired. I didn't expect to dislike The Campaign to the extent I do, but after watching it, I was left grappling at the idea of how movies like this keep getting made. We continue to go to the movies and watch these ridiculous comedies that are just reused jokes. I actually thought that The Campaign would be a step up in intelligence for the standard Will Farrell movie. I came to find out, it was actually a step down.

• Eugene B

  
  Crude, sexually explicit but yet enough to garner a bunch of laughs. The film is able to produce magic from the chemistry and hysterical jousting of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. Though it may not live up to the intended hype, The Campaign is a bundle of laughter in time for the… More
  Crude, sexually explicit but yet enough to garner a bunch of laughs. The film is able to produce magic from the chemistry and hysterical jousting of Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. Though it may not live up to the intended hype, The Campaign is a bundle of laughter in time for the election year. 4/5

• Luke B

  
  American politics, or any politics for that matter, are quite humorous on their own. So when a film decides to poke fun at the circus around such farce, it runs the risk of not matching up to the hilarity of the real thing. Luckily for The Campaign, it is successful by not seeming too… More
  American politics, or any politics for that matter, are quite humorous on their own. So when a film decides to poke fun at the circus around such farce, it runs the risk of not matching up to the hilarity of the real thing. Luckily for The Campaign, it is successful by not seeming too concerned with making a difference. Instead it gives us a large amount of brilliant characters and funny situations. There's baby punching, wife boning, and other underhanded methods brought to life by the likes of Ferrell and Galifianakis. However, it is the supporting stars who turn in the best perofrmances. McDermott (or should that be Mulroney?) is the brightest star, as a campaign manager that can appear anywhere at anytime. He plays it straight and gets the biggest laughs, from the lines he delivers to a simple look. Sudeikis also hits high with the straight man to Ferrell's congressman, looking at Ferrell's ideas as absurd and unnecessary. Best of all is the running gag over the racist Brian Cox and how he forces his Asian made to speak like an old stereotypical black woman to make him feel more comfortable. Great laughs, but a little on the short side, which leaves iconic actors such as Lithgow, Cox and Aykroyd with nothing to do.

• Jeff "

  
  Before seeing The Campaign I had reservations. Will Ferrell was a good comedian back in the day, and definitely has made some good comedies. However for me, he's been hit and miss. Unlike Adam Sandler, he can still make me laugh, and he does still have good comic delivery… More
  Before seeing The Campaign I had reservations. Will Ferrell was a good comedian back in the day, and definitely has made some good comedies. However for me, he's been hit and miss. Unlike Adam Sandler, he can still make me laugh, and he does still have good comic delivery depending on the film's script. This film was laugh out loud hilarious from start to finish. The key to the film's success is in the performance and screen presence of the two lead actors. The jokes are crude and vulgar and they work perfectly in the context of the film's plot. Thoroughly enjoyable if you love the older films of Will Ferrell or his work in general. The film does have its weaknesses as the jokes run out by film's end, thus the ending is a bit weak, but that's to be expected. Director Jay Roach who previously helmed memorable comedies such as the Austin Powers trilogy and Meet the Parents continues in the tradition of delivering a mindless and effectively funny film that overcomes its flaws by being a fun and never dull movie. I was very much surprised by how Will Ferrell made me laugh in this one, although delivering the same brand of comedy that he's always done, the idea of him as a sleazy politician makes this film work, and with sharply written jokes and memorable one liners and moments that stand out, this is among Will Ferrell's best films. This is typical Will Ferrell, but there are lots to enjoy on-screen and The Campaign is one of the best comedies this year.

• Mario L M

  
  The Campaign, directed by Jay Roach and written by Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell and Adam McKay, which stars Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis as two politicians vying for one of North Carolinaâ(TM)s seats in the House of Representatives, is easily one of the worst movies of the year.… More
  The Campaign, directed by Jay Roach and written by Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell and Adam McKay, which stars Will Farrell and Zach Galifianakis as two politicians vying for one of North Carolinaâ(TM)s seats in the House of Representatives, is easily one of the worst movies of the year. As a political satire itâ(TM)s toothless and muddled and as a brainless Will Farrell/Zach Galifianakis comedy itâ(TM)s lazy and surprisingly conservative. Itâ(TM)s easily Farrellâ(TM)s worst movie since Land of the Lost, a convincing argument for Galifianakis to retire and might just be the worst film in Austin Powers in Goldmember and Meet the Fockers director Jay Roachâ(TM)s career. The filmâ(TM)s premise isnâ(TM)t terrible; pit a seasoned political operator (Farrell) against an idealist novice (Galifianakis) with lots of shots taken at the deleterious effect corporate interests have had on the American political process. Writer/producer Adam McKay used the buddy comedy format to rip into the financial collapse to great success in his The Other Guys so heâ(TM)s proven using a familiar format to make a light polemic can work but here McKay and his collaborators fail spectacularly. This is largely because the film canâ(TM)t pick a tone and stick with it for any length of time. It wants to laugh at Farrellâ(TM)s loudmouthed horn dog and Galifianakis effete weirdo but it also want you to care about the consequences of a corrupted electoral process and cost of a win at any costs culture. The film tries to score points by pointing out that billionaire businessmen like the Koch brothers (here lazily parodied as the Motch brothers and played by a wasted Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) pervert the democratic process by throwing their money behind candidates that will support their economy corroding business practices. Instead of drawing blood by identifying the Motchâ(TM)s as GOP stalwarts or pointing out that high profile Democrats like Farrellâ(TM)s John Edwards inspired character find their progressive positions completely undone by their loathsome sexual proclivities, the film begs off at every possible opportunity. Every time the film gets close to actual cutting satire, it retreats to a weak and halfhearted âeverybodyâ(TM)s guiltyâ? stance. And if the film was just a straight ahead mindless frat pack comedy this wouldnâ(TM)t be a problem. Itâ(TM)s fun to watch a snake venom addled Farrell bite into the belly of a live raccoon or Galifianakis quiet shudder at the prospect of pushing his and his wifeâ(TM)s twin beds together bit moments like that are undercut by scenes where Farrellâ(TM)s young son tells him he plans on winning a high school election using the dirty tricks here learned from his father. Which is turn undercut buy a scene where Farrell steals a policemenâ(TM)s car after being pulled over for drunk driving. There is a line where in it becomes impossible to care about a made election no matter how many reproachful looks or sad music cues are used and that line is crossed when one candidate makes a sex tape/political ad with the otherâ(TM)s wife. This tonal inconsistency can be squarely laid at the feet of Jay Roach. The man his consistently failed to balance comedy and drama in the Meet the Parents franchise and only found success when committing to either bawdy humor as with the Austin Powers series or political drama as with his Recount and Game Change. When combining his two strengths, Roach instead highlights his weaknesses, critical making both of his protagonists unlikably mean and self-centered in the final third of the film and keeping Farrellâ(TM)s hilarious rage and Galifianakis indefatigable creepiness in check in an attempt to ground the filmâ(TM)s ludicrous plotline. Thatâ(TM)s like putting Fred Astaire in a wheelchair. Underneath all of The Campaignâ(TM)s puerile humor and first Comedy Sportz practice level satire, there is an kernel of a smart political send up or an off the wall comedy that would do for regional elections what Talladega Nights did for NASCAR but not enough material to sustain both which shows a shocking lack of insight for a group of talented comedians in an election year. This movie could have been this decadeâ(TM)s Wag the Dog or at least its Bulworth but instead, with jokes that wouldnâ(TM)t have made the cut on a MADTV dress rehearsal and politics so obvious and empty that even Green Day couldnâ(TM)t make an album out of them, itâ(TM)s become a movie that makes Thatâ(TM)s My Boy look good.

• Stuart B

  
  Very funny and spot on, great to see Will Ferrell making a good movie again.

• Manu G

  
  Ribald, funny, merciless fun at the expense of politicians and politics. Good funny movie! The scenes that are funny, are hilarious and make will make anyone with a sense of humor laugh. The film's pacing is very good and the chemistry between Farrell And Galifianakis is just… More
  Ribald, funny, merciless fun at the expense of politicians and politics. Good funny movie! The scenes that are funny, are hilarious and make will make anyone with a sense of humor laugh. The film's pacing is very good and the chemistry between Farrell And Galifianakis is just perfect. In the end, if you go in the theater with an open mind and a sense of humor, you will enjoy it. Just don't expect another Step Brothers or Hangover. In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center.

• Phil H

  
  Dare I say I pretty accurate representation of US politics and how party members behave?. Well maybe not that far but this sure is a good mocking of what US Congressmen get up to in their daily routines. When I say daily routines I mean all the slimy publicity stunts, ass kissing,… More
  Dare I say I pretty accurate representation of US politics and how party members behave?. Well maybe not that far but this sure is a good mocking of what US Congressmen get up to in their daily routines. When I say daily routines I mean all the slimy publicity stunts, ass kissing, grovelling...general PR stunts. Wasn't sure about this one to be honest, Farrell films tend to have a huge swing meter ranging from great to total crap, this surprised me. First off this film is no kiddie fun flick, its an adult comedy all the way and better for it. I was actually really amazed at the level of vulgar swearing and sexual gags, completely hit me off guard as I was expecting something more tame. Farrell's character is a winner here, his arrogant, loud mouthed, foul mouthed, clueless congressman who keeps sticking his foot in it and not really caring is genius. Easily one of his best performances for ages as he curses his way through the film whilst generally being corrupt, nasty and utterly unhinged, classic Farrell with no PG restrictions. Love that he is shown as the good all American Christian family man yet really he's completely the opposite, corny but funny. Never heard of Zach Galifianakis much before this. Again its another winning character who is the perfect foil to Farrell's in your face congressman. Galifi....Zach plays your typical American Christian, both congressmen are supposed good Christians but Zach's character is basically the real deal, the good guy, gentle, timid and ultimately based on 'Ned Flanders' methinks. Behind the plot are the even more corrupt 'Motch brothers' played by comedy legend Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow. These guys play characters that are similar in vein to the 'Duke brothers' played Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy in 'Trading Places' if you ask me. They are behind the scenes, behind the dastardly plot and not seen as much but add class and believability to the film. Loved the PR stunts set up to gain valuable voters and how they are sabotaged by each congressman. Some are exactly as you would see in reality whilst some are truly hilarious, 'Brady' trying to sleep with 'Huggins' wife then broadcast it for example. A cracking satire and spoof of good honest red, white and blue American politics. As a Brit the mockery of the typical religion obsessed wholesome Christian American family is very amusing. Its basically funny because its all based on reality, real folk and how US politics can be so childish and petty. Is there nothing more cringeworthy than watching real US politicians go on their greasy cross country voter campaigns. Its all predictable right to the end but the lunacy and crude, sexist, un-PC toilet humour is outrageous, at times shocking, but down right fantastic I can't deny. Its good to see a proper no holds barred adult comedy, the cast benefit as do we the adult viewers. Its not original and its extremely rude but god dam its funny. 'Because Filipino Tilt-a-Whirl operators are this nation's backbone'

• Lorenzo v

  
  <i>"May the best loser win."</i> In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism… More
  <i>"May the best loser win."</i> In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center. <center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center> Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is a four term Democratic representative of the 14th district of North Carolina, based around the city of Hampton. He is running unopposed for the seat but he is in trouble after he accidentally leaves a sexually explicit message on a born-again Christian's answering machine. His backers, the industrialists the Motch Brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) decides that Cam is a dud and set out to find a someone to run against him. They find the nice, but naïve and weird Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) to run as a Republican. The campaign quickly descends into false accusations, personal attacks and physical violence. But the Motch Brothers have their own dastardly plan for Hampton. Ferrell is the best comic performer out of the pair but both comic leads have their moments. The jokes vary from verbal, crude and swearing based, Ferrell's trademarked adlibbing and physical gags : the biggest laugh in the audience I was in was when the baby got punched in the face. As a political satire this is a film that lacks subtlety, but to anyone who is interested in American politics you can easily see the references to negative campaigning, making false accusations that someone is a communist/socialist or an Islamic terrorist just through implication, how candidates just use any rhetoric to get elected without actually having any ideas or policies and how political campaign teams think more about image then they do about doing what they think is best for the district and the country. Prepare for an unexpected twist at the end, including a clever throw-away line involving the recent Chick-Fil-A controversy. Hysterical as it is, this movie might be even funnier if not so close to the truth.

• Eric A

  
  The audience rating speaks for itself.....The Campaign is a failure. It was easily predictable and lacked conviction in the comedy department. This is probably the last Will Ferrell movie I will waste my money on, due to him losing the ability to be funny. Let's face it, the guy… More
  The audience rating speaks for itself.....The Campaign is a failure. It was easily predictable and lacked conviction in the comedy department. This is probably the last Will Ferrell movie I will waste my money on, due to him losing the ability to be funny. Let's face it, the guy can't make funny movies anymore. PS.... I know it's not all Will's fault, Galifianakis needs to throw in the towel too.

• Dan S

  
  A dirty, unsatisfying satire of the cancerous political platform known as the campaign for public office, with two of the most powerful comedic titans of the industry (Will Ferrell, Zack Galifianakis) being wasted on a script that settles for crude, cheap jokes at every turn. It… More
  A dirty, unsatisfying satire of the cancerous political platform known as the campaign for public office, with two of the most powerful comedic titans of the industry (Will Ferrell, Zack Galifianakis) being wasted on a script that settles for crude, cheap jokes at every turn. It starts to head in the right direction near its conclusion, but sadly it is already too late. Ferrell sports another stupid, over the top performance that we are all used to, while Galifianakis and his silly southern accent are buried by writers who obviously mailed this thing in with a ridiculous, unclever story. Instead of choosing to be a sharp, effective comedy with two huge stars, director Jay Roach instead elects for fraternity-level humor that feels out of place and forced. Americans need a movie with a ferocious political bite like say, "Wag the Dog", especially now, when the future of our country looks bleak. Sadly, "The Campaign" is not that beast, instead it comes across as a whimper, and probably a film that should have been on Ferrell's "Funny or Die" website as a 5-10 minute sketch, not an hour and a half long film.

• Kase V

  
  'The Campaign' proves to be less funny than its two stars should suggest, but that does not mean it is without laughs. The true comedy comes from its jokes at the dispense of politics and government instead of the usual improv and quotables from Ferrell and Galifianakis.… More
  'The Campaign' proves to be less funny than its two stars should suggest, but that does not mean it is without laughs. The true comedy comes from its jokes at the dispense of politics and government instead of the usual improv and quotables from Ferrell and Galifianakis. These two are always worth a shot on any film, but just don't expect it to be anywhere near as funny as the best of their past work.

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