Helen Herimbi
A boy’s movie that gets my vote. You know, sometimes there are films that just zone in on a par- ticular demographic and then milk it as if it was Mina Moo?
The Campaign is one of those films. The funny bits, made up of toilet humour, punching babies, sexual innuendo and a bit of slap- stick, may be very annoying to anyone who didn’t find say, any of the Hangover movies funny.
Although Mr Wolfpack him- self, Zach Galifianakis plays Marty Huggins (the funnier lead character), The Campaign is dialled back a lot of notches from the Hangover(s).
We are shown a tool of Steve Hofmeyr proportions in Cam Brady – Will Ferrell in a role that worryingly fits him rather snugly. Cam is a Democratic congressman who is so used to running for Congress unop- posed that everyone treats his fifth attempt as a no-brainer.
That’s until his douche- baggery piles up and he ends up leaving a very sexually explicit (albeit hilariously crass) voice message for his mistress… except he dials the wrong number and the message is heard by a con- servative family while they are saying grace at supper.
“How, in the year 2012, do they still have an answering machine,” Cam says by way of excusing himself. “Why must they be denied technology?” Ha!
But his fraudulent campaign financiers, the Motch Brothers (Lithgow and Aykroyd) have had enough of his stupidity and recklessness and decide to back a new potential congressman to run on the Republican ticket, an unsuspecting Marty.
To say Marty is eccentric is an understatement. Running against Cam would be a landslide victory for Cam if the Motch Brothers didn’t place badass campaign manager, Tim Wattley (McDermott), at Marty’s disposal. The pair go at it and it becomes the most exciting campaign this sleepy town district has ever seen.
Playing on the fact that it’s election season in America, The Campaign lets us in on what really goes into the making of a candidate, who is pulling the strings and what good ol’ Uncle Sam is actually made of.
The filmmakers delve into quite shallow waters when they attempt to make the Chinese look like the devil incarnate.
For one, Marty gets chastised for owning a pair of Chinese pugs when a very red-in-the-face man shouts to him to “get some American dogs, you commie!”
It’s a pity that so many refer- ences are American and limiting in humour. Is Katie Couric so popular worldwide that there is such a thing as a Katie Couric haircut? See what I mean?
The Campaign mocks pop culture and even throws a Piers Morgan cameo in for good measure, but it certainly isn’t for everyone. But if you’re a boy, chances are, you’ll find it funny.
If you liked… Due Date… you will be amused by this movie