Die Eisprinzen

I first saw this movie on a plane flight. Oh dear ! My hysterical laughter didn't go down too well with some fellow passengers. I had an interest in the movie from the start having been an ice skater some years ago. What a great mix of pure comedy and outrageous farce this movie is. Two guys who hate each other forced to make a skating-pair. Ferrell is full on, Heder is petulant. It's clash of two diverse personalities forced to perform as a pair on ice. It is so very funny and ranks as my 2nd favourite comedy movie of all time after "Airplane" (1980)

What can I say? The whole theater laughed during this whole movie. There were a few cheap laughs and some very obvious jokes thrown in, but the delivery was par for the course as far as Farrell is concerned. In other words, if Farrell is your kind of comedic character, you'll love this movie. If, say, Hugh Grant is your idea of a comic character, you'll probably hate this movie. Will Farrell's character was essentially Ron Burgundy on ice skates, which is a great idea. Ron Burgundy was, of course, the embodiment of the so-called "alpha-masculine" persona of the '70s and '80s. - unabashedly proud, sexist, and narcissistic. Put him into a sport that in many peoples' eyes in inherently effeminate and you've got a sure-fire crowd pleaser.

Jon Heder was a little less Napolean Dynamite-ish in this movie. He is still the same innocent, ignorant, nerdy, awkward person as in his debut character. That said, he is a little more image-aware in this character, and as the movie progressed I saw less Napolean Dynamite (a major problem in his career until now, IMO), and I saw more of this "other" character. Heder's character is hard to describe other than to say it is Napolean Dynamite combined with Derek Zoolander - a lovable ignorant narcissist. Put that on ice skates opposite Ron Burgundy the figure skater and you have 93 minutes of great fun.

What really makes this film work is Farrell's willingness to do anything in a movie and Heder's reluctance to do such things. They are polar opposites as far as comedic actors and their comedic emphasis are concerned. But those two personalities really work well to complement each other on screen in this film. 8/10

When I first saw the trailer for this film I didn't think much of it. It looked as if it were just trying to cash in on the popularity of Will Ferrel after the success of Talladega Nights. Well, I was wrong, big time wrong. First off, almost every scene in this film is hilarious and the trailer does it no justice. Don't get me wrong, I love Will Ferrel films for the most part but this one looked like it would be an exception. Instead this film fits perfectly with my taste in comedies like Talladega Nights, Zoolander, Anchorman, Water Boy, Old School and Billy Madison. If you like these kinds of films you will love this film.

I skip most current comedies because the humor is geared to the lowest common denominator, and I prefer the screwball comedies of the '30s and the more sophisticated comedies. So normally I wouldn't have seen "Blades of Glory" except that I am a figure skating fan.

It's the story of two top American figure skaters, Chazz and Jimmy (played by Will Ferrell and John Heder), two bitter enemies, who, after a fight on the winners podium are stripped of their medals and banned from skating. Jimmy ends up working in a sports shoe store and Chazz wears a costume in a children's' skating shoe.

Jimmy's stalker finds a notation in the rule book that indicates that he only can't re-enter the mens single competition. It says nothing about pairs. Unable to find a female partner, Jimmy's old coach hooks him up with the macho, drunken Chazz Michael Michaels, who was skating's bad boy.

This is a very funny film with good acting, good characterizations, amazing skating, and a lot of slapstick. Particularly if you're a figure skating fan and have followed it over the years, you will appreciate the enthusiasm and seriousness of the commentators, in particular, Scott Hamilton. I have no idea how he kept a straight face, but it made the film even funnier.

The routines, the costumes - the whole parody of the skating world is perfect. I especially liked the Van Waldenbergs' irreverent routine based on the JFK-Marilyn Monroe romance, which begins with Kennedy saying "Ich bin ein Berliner" and has Marilyn, in her famous white dress with the halter top, popping pills and posing as she did over the street grate in "The Seven Year Itch." HILARIOUS.

The references to skating stars like Michelle Kwan, who supposedly wanted to marry the Will Ferrell character, Oksana Baiul (who is colder than dry ice? OKSANA) and Kristy Yamaguchi was especially appreciated, as was seeing Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming and Nancy Kerrigan in the film.

It was one laugh out loud moment after another. Even if this type of movie with its sporadic vulgarity and sex jokes isn't for you, if you've been a fan of figure skating in the past 10 years and remember the Nancy-Tanya debacle, you will enjoy "Blades of Glory."

I saw the preview several days ago and figured it was just another case of, "put the funniest parts of the movie in the trailer to hook the public and then be disappointed later", but I was surprised and the comedic cohesion between John H. and Will F.. The dialouge was some of the funniest I've heard in awhile and the physical comedy was timed perfectly. This is not just another mediocre performance from Heder and Will that we have grown accustomed to. This movie really delivers and there were plenty of great cameos. Including Jenna Fisher from the office and even Nancy Carrigan. If you truly have an eye for good comedy, they you'll love this movie. I think it was the best comedy I have seen in awhile.