From Jay Roach, director of the Austin Powers movies, The Campaign attempts to uncover the lighter side of American politic. Unopposed for five years, North Carolina Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrel) finds his popularity slipping after he misdials, and leaves a message meant for his mistress on the answering machine of a local family. Fearing they are backing the wrong horse, a pair of corrupt businessmen (a severely wasted Dan Ackroyd and Jon Lithgow) bankroll ordinary citizen Marty Huggins (Zach Galifinakis) to run against him, to make sure their plans for Huggins and Brady's district go off without a hitch. Pretty soon, things get dirty as both men will stop at nothing to win.
I know I don't need to say this, but The West Wing this is not. Talking about opinion polls is about as deep into the world of politics as this movie gets As you would expect form the people involved, this is as broad as comedy can get, and, with that in mind, it hits all the right notes. The film works best when it concentrates on the mud slinging, which escalates pretty quickly. From Ferrel's tendency to punch babies, and, at one point, animals, to a campaign video/sex tape, the laughs come thick and fast, but where the movie falls down is when it tries to advance the plot. The story doesn't really hold any weight, it's just a framing device for the anarchic goings on of the campaign trail, and is down right predictable. It's message of big business destroying politics and small town life borders on the preachy, and it all adds up to an overly schmaltzy ending.
Ferrel and Galifinakis aren't really stretching themselves with these characters. They are just rethreads of what we have seen time and time again from the actors: Brady is a loud, brash moron, Huggins a soft spoken, effeminate door mat. But these are characters they play very well, and they do deliver good performances here. Jason Sudeikis as Brady's campaign manager proves to be good straight man for Ferrel's increasingly desperate congressman, while Dylan McDermott stole the show for me as the ninja-like Tim Wattley, hired to give Huggins a much-needed edge. All his scenes were highlights for me, and he delivers a lions share of the movies laughs.
While nothing special, this is a solid comedy which does deliver the laughs, but nothing much else.
