3.5, United States/Canada

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

2006 / Adam McKay > There are a lot of jokes in Talladega Nights—in fact, almost as many as there are product endorsements—but thankfully, the success ratio is high enough that it’s hard to stop laughing for much of the film. Moreover, the surrounding cast in John C. Reilly, Gary Cole, Sacha Baron Cohen and a surprisingly stunning Lesbie Bibb gives the film a balance usually found tipped in other Ferrell films. It’s tongue-and-cheek, silly, self-deprecating, but thankfully knows exactly what it is (as witnessed by the outtakes during the end credits). And it’s probably the best Hollywood film this summer so far.

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