Blades of Glory Wins Gold

If someone said, "Hey, there's a figure skating championship on tv. Do you want to watch it?"

What would you say or think?

To the majority of America-at least the male portion- two things usually present themselves when the term figure skating is tossed around. The first image conjured up in the mind is that this is a rather feminine sport--though many would not even consider this a sport, in the true sense of the word. Next, there is a certain homosexual stereotype that has attached itself to the sport. Nowhere in the mind does the word hilarious come into play while talking about figure skating--until now.

Chaz Michael Michaels, a.k.a. Will Ferrell, gives the performance of a lifetime. I have heard many movie critics say that this is the same Will Farrell that they have always seen. In a sense it is--he is funny. But, if you have not seen the movie yet, do not believe it. I am not a huge Farrell fan, but he was hilarious in this role. For example, a man obviously repulsed by looking directly into Heder's crotch while holding his partner upside down as part of their routine, refusing to admit his weight issue, and singing "Lady Humps" on the treadmill are scenes only enhanced by the comedic actor's background.

Furthermore, I am not a Napoleon Dynamite fan, but I found Jimmy MacElroy (a.k.a. Jon Heder) to played the role perfectly. He seemed to display a less-than-manly look, often associated with figure skating. However, he proves that he is not "that way," despite his "Girly Man" actions, by expressing his love-at least infatuation-with the ultimate rival's sister, Katey.

With just months of training-in an old storage shed-Ferrell and Heder, once arch-enemies banished from singles' skating competition forever, bond to form a dynamic-although laughingly-despicable team. From their costumes to their choreographed routines, the pair is hysterical on the ice. Ferrell presents the manly, womanizing, boozing half of the team, while Heder plays the more feminine member of the duo.

Since an altercation between the two resulted in the aforementioned lifetime ban for the two, a stalker of Jimmy's points out the fact that he could still compete-- only not alone, but in pair's competition. Meanwhile, like Jimmy is struggling with L.A.F.S. (Life After Figure Skating), Ferrell is skating for a kids' show, resembling Sesame Street on Ice. As a rejuvenated Heder is searching for a partner, he runs into Ferrell. The conflicting personalities are none-too-happy to see each other again. The two of them hooking up seems impossible.

Then, Coach, who had been Jimmy's singles coach, comes along. The legendary coach-on television anyhow-puts the two together. Craig T. Nelson, of Coach fame, molds the two--as sort of a father figure. Nelson is nothing new to television comedy, so he was the perfect fit for this role. He compliments the two drastically different characters very well.

Without ruining the ending, I'll leave this movie review with just a simple character setting. Not only are the characters very well played, but also they make the movie hilarious. On a scale of 1-10, this movie deserves an 9. Go see it today. It is not serious, mind-wakening humor. Do not expect to see this flick nominated for Picture of The Year. However, it is just what it was intended to be--a break from the everyday routine to laugh.

Two thumbs up!