The Campaign

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Ferrell and Galifianakis Co-Star as Adversaries in Election Year Comedy

            If you’re looking for a timely, laugh-a-minute comedy about the dirty tricks being employed during a cutthroat political campaign, your wait is over. The Campaign stars Will Ferrell as Cam Brady, a popular North Carolina Congressman who’s running unopposed for his fifth term in office until an Anthony Weiner-level peccadillo becomes public knowledge.

            That boneheaded blunder opens the door for a nerdy, unworthy opponent named Marty Higgins (Zach Galifianakis) to enter the race. He’s being bankrolled by a couple of very wealthy businessmen, Glen (John Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Dan Aykroyd), sleazy, power-hungry siblings ostensibly patterned after the billionaire Koch brothers, notorious backers of arch-conservative causes. 

            Bragging about being “candidate creators” more than “job creators,” the Motches specifically seize on naïve Marty since he’s so malleable. From behind the scenes, they orchestrate a complete overhaul of Higgins’ image with the help of a no-nonsense campaign manager (Dylan McDermott).

            Soon, Brady realizes he’s in the fight of his life, as both sides resort to increasingly-devious tactics to prevail on Election Day. For instance, we find Marty wearing what he calls a “Yamaha” on his head during services at a synagogue, while Cam sings in the gospel choir of a black Baptist Church and plays with rattlesnakes to curry favor with the congregation of a sect of serpent-handling evangelists.

            But despite his best efforts, Brady continues to sabotage his own campaign at every turn, whether by accidentally punching a baby and a puppy, or by being caught having sex with a supporter in a port-o-john. And when the polls indicate that the tide is turning decisively in Marty’s favor, the focus becomes whether he’ll be a tool of the Motch brothers or choose to do what’s best for his district.

            Will Ferrell’s over-the-top approach to Cam serves as the perfect counterpoint to Zach Galifianakis’ relatively-subdued interpretation of sweet-natured Marty. The film also features several inspired support performances, most notably, Dylan McDermott and Jason Sudeikis as equally-devious campaign managers, and Karen Maruyama as an ebonics-accented Asian housekeeper.

            Throw in amusing cameos by a neverending string of political pundits like Bill Maher, Wolf Blitzer, Chris Matthews, Piers Morgan, Joe Scarborough, Lawrence O’Donnell, Willie Geist, Mika Brezezinski, Ed Schultz and Dennis Miller, and you’ve got all the makings for a bona fide election season sensation. Galifianakis and Ferrell as the funniest candidates money can buy!

Excellent (3.5 stars)

Rated R for profanity, sexuality, nudity and crude humor.

Running time: 97 minutes

Distributor: Warner Home Entertainment Group

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes; gag reel; Line-O-Rama; and more.

To see a trailer for The Campaign, visit: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omcm3VCVpage