JOSH GORDON, WILL SPECK

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BBB.5

USA, 2007.  DreamWorks, Red Hour Films, Smart Entertainment, First Entertainment, MTV Films.  Story by Craig Cox, Jeff Cox, Busy Philipps, Screenplay by Jeff Cox, Craig Cox, John Altschuler, David Krinsky.  Cinematography by Stefan Czapsky.  Produced by Stuart Cornfield, John Jacobs, Ben Stiller.  Music by Theodore Shapiro.  Production Design by Stephen J. Lineweaver.  Costume Design by Julie Weiss.  Film Editing by Richard Pearson.  

Two world-famous ice skating champions, one a wunderkind golden-tressed star (Jon Heder) and the other an overripe, macho womanizer (Will Ferrell) tie for first at an international skating competition. Their long-standing dislike of each other goes public when they create such a fuss on the podium that they get themselves kicked out of their careers by the World Skating Federation and are unable to compete again.

Some time later, one works selling skates and the other one performs in a children’s show on ice until their former coach (Craig T. Nelson) decides to enter them back into the competitions…only this time as a couple.

This incredibly silly, predictable comedy mines all the hijinks that Farrell and Heder are known for and drags Will Arnett and Amy Poehler along as their nemeses, plus throws in a little romance just to make sure the formula is complete.

The experience of watching it, however, is anything but formulaic, as the two stars really have terrific chemistry and many of the jokes are incredibly funny. The costumes alone will inspire loud laughs if the pratfalls don’t, and it’s wonderful to see the classic sport being given the sacriligeous treatment.

Look for real skating superstars like Nancy Kerrigan and Dorothy Hamill in cameos.