Dope for a better tomorrow

As the presidential campaigns kick into high gear, the nation's attention is firmly entrenched in politics, so what better time than now to poke fun at the election process? The Campaign sets out to do just that as funnymen Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis square off as opponents vying for a North Carolina Congressional seat. With a comedic pairing like that, you would expect big laughs, but like most politicians, these two are unable to make good on their promises.

Ferrell plays Cam Brady, a four-time Congressman who doesn't think twice about his actions since he believes he'll be running unopposed. Enter Marty Huggins, a Southern simpleton who gets coaxed into running by the nefarious Hotch brothers, who want a man they can control in office so that they can get away with running sweatshops in the U.S. The brothers are played with mustache-twirling evilness by Dan Ackroyd and John Lithgow. They are a thinly veiled parody of the real-life Koch brothers, but I found myself comparing them more to the evil rich old men from Trading Places

Both men begin to go all out in order to make sure they win. This should have made for some comedic gold, but in this Olympic year, its a bronze, at best. Part of the problem is one that plagues so many comedies - advertising fatigue. Several of the film's best jokes have been played to death in trailers and television ads. Half the fun in a good joke is the surprise it provides and that gets taken away when you've seen 40 times before. Something like Will Ferrell punching a baby felt fresh seeing it in the trailer, but comes off flat by the time you see the movie.

The bigger issue though is the film's attempts at mocking the political process. If you pay any attention to the nation around you, you not only know how politics work, but you also know the humor that can come from people trying to run for office. Hardly anything offered in The Campaign feels fresh or original. Shows like The Colbert Report offer more biting satire and witty insight into election coverage on a nightly basis than this film can muster up throughout its entire runtime.

Perhaps the film's biggest misfire is focusing on how political candidates are mere puppets for people with real power and wealth. That's not necessarily the wrong approach but when you've got Ferrell and Galifianakis as your leads, the focus should be on them and the characters they create. We really don't get much insight into who these men are or why they behave the way they do. I think this could have been a much sharper film if they had made these two campaigning against each other for a smaller, local office. This past season of Parks and Recreation proves that small-town elections can produce big laughs. Taking that approach not only yields good laughs, but it also allows you to focus more on the characters and the community, whereas the approach they took here just makes you depressed as you realize that too much of what they're doing here is actually happening in real campaigns.

Perhaps I'm being too hard on the movie. After all, despite my criticisms about the choices they made, Ferrell and Galifianakis are still very funny here. Even when a script isn't as sharp as it could be, these two talented guys find a way to milk laughs out of everything. Those who are less concerned with political commentary and just looking to laugh should have no reservations about checking this out. You'll likely also enjoy the efforts of a lot of the supporting cast, including Galifianakis wife, kids, and pets who have some hilarious skeletons in the closet.

Like most candidates that we support, The Campaign is flawed and far from perfect. But you also realize that it's a better choice than most other options. That said, we also cannot be complacent and just blindly accept everything that's offered to us. We know these guys can do better and we should always demand the best from them. I think that's a platform we can all support. Grade: B-