Directed by: Josh Gordon and Will Speck
Starring: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Jenna Fischer

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star in Blades of Glory. (Courtesy photo)

Will Ferrell is not for all tastes. I have some very intelligent and funny friends who find him insufferable. But there’s more going on in his signature comedies—Anchorman, Talladega Nights, and now Blades of Glory—than just standard low-grade shenanigans. They are unabashedly good-natured. Even at his most foul (and Blades creation Chazz Michael Michaels gets pretty foul), Ferrell’s innate sweetness seeps through. Ferrell is also redefining knucklehead masculinity in Hollywood. He knows what makes heterosexual white men cringe, and he pummels us with it until we submit. Blades of Glory isn’t a great comedy—its characters don’t hold a candle to the Anchorman ensemble—but it shoves the sexual awkwardness of male figure skating in our faces, runs impatiently through the obvious jokes, and commences its campaign of sheer, open-minded stupidity. Is this a long-winded rationalization because I feel I need an excuse for laughing so much? Possibly. But the point is Blades of Glory is a very fun dumb movie.

Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) is the bad boy of professional figure skating. He has a tattoo for every gold-medal-winning conquest (somewhere Oksana Baiul is blushing). He improvises his routines, though they generally have something to do with “how babies are made.” His absolute opposite is Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder), a human cream puff who is technically perfect, but as unprepared to take chances on the ice as he is in the real world. Jimmy was adopted as a child by millionaire athlete-maker Darren MacElroy (William Fichtner) and trained to win the gold. He never had a life outside the rink. When Jimmy and Chazz tussle at a major competition, they are both banned from men’s singles skating. But Coach (Craig T. Nelson—and yes, his character’s name is simply “Coach”) realizes there’s nothing stopping the two from becoming a pair. Thus begins the gloriously cringesome practices at the hands of choreographer Jesse (Romany Malco). Now the two must face off against the reigning champs, brother and sister Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenburg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler). Stranz and Fairchild will do anything to win, including forcing their pushover sister Katie (Jenna Fischer) to spy on Chazz and Jimmy.

Whereas scenes in Talladega Nights often felt like they were overlong rehearsals, Blades of Glory has a different residue. Some scenes were obviously shot repeatedly with improvised variations, and have lost some of their energy. The result is that Chazz and Jimmy come up with funny lines—but they don’t come up with the funny line. Even if Blades doesn’t always nail the punchline, though, it’s more consistently funny and engaging than Talladega. The directing team of Josh Gordon and Will Speck show promise, anchoring the story in just enough reality to allow for an outrageous degree of comic absurdity. They seem to have a better sense of rhythm and structure than a lot of the for-hire comedy directors currently working, and they do a fairly good job of reining in Ferrell.

Jon Heder, who became an instant star in his debut role of Napoleon Dynamite, gets the romantic subplot with Jenna Fischer. In spite of his good-natured efforts, the film belongs to Ferrell. He gets 80 percent of the good lines (and obviously made them up himself). Somehow Ferrell manages to be a screen hog and gracious at sharing the spotlight at the same time. But if Blades comes up shy of Talladega in any way, it’s in the supporting cast. In spite of a potent mix of arrogance and vulnerability, Arnett doesn’t seem quite ready to fill the big screen. He comes off a little better than real-life spouse Amy Poehler, however. I’ve expected the Upright Citizens’ Brigade co-founder, Saturday Night Live cast member, and Burlington, Mass. native to become a star. But Poehler, who has helped transform SNL from an aimless boys’ club into a female-driven smash, seems to be losing her honesty as she gets more successful. I hope Poehler finds the charm again, because her comic abilities are beyond question. Jenna Fischer is America’s new crush, thanks to her role as Pam, the receptionist on The Office. She makes a nice transition to the big screen in a poorly conceived role. Fischer may not have a lot of range, but it’s impossible not to like her. Her make-out scene with Heder is something else.

If you think you’ll enjoy Blades of Glory, you’re probably right. Not surprisingly, if you weren’t very entertained by Ferrell’s other vehicles you shouldn’t bother with this one. But even if it’s not your cup of tea, don’t dismiss Ferrell as simply the latest gross-out comedian. When his slobbery, arrogant buffoons learn their lessons, it isn’t just window dressing. Much like another buffoon, Homer Simpson, has proven to be television’s most progressive father figure, Ferrell turns out to be a hilariously tolerant comedian.

Alex Manugian lives in Sherman Oaks, California, and works for the Cartoon Network. He grew up in Groton and has reviewed movies for Harvard residents for many years.