Will Ferrell's newest comedy, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, has been on Netflix for a few days now and the reaction appears to be down the middle.
Those who liked it, really liked it and those that didn't will probably never watch a Eurovision song contest ever again. Regardless, it is the #1 film for Netflix right now.
When the Volcano Man teaser clip dropped a few weeks ago ahead of the film's release, you probably responded with one of two reactions:
"Ha... that's funny."
Or
"This is dumb and I hate this."
Now, if you really want our verdict on it (thanks for asking), we are fans. Like many of the positive reviews for the film, it's one of Ferrell's better comedies in a long time (can we please just pretend Holmes & Watson didn't happen?) and the cast is great. Rachel McAdams damn near steals the entire thing, Pierce Brosnan is solid as ever as Ferrell's dad and Dan Stevens impresses as the snarky competition for our Icelandic heroes.
Is it perfect? Absolutely not. But it's fun and here's the thing to remember: Eurovision is a celebration of the annual event. Yes, of course it takes the piss out of it a little bit, but the entire two-plus hour film pays tribute to the magic of Eurovision.
Also, the songs slap. There, we said it. That includes Volcano Man. So, there.
So in case you haven't had the time or if you're still on the fence about it, we've thrown together some of the nice and not-so-nice reviews about Eurovision.
THE GOOD
Forbes say Eurovision is Ferrell's "most successful film in years" and is a "breath of fresh air, both for moviegoers and presumably for Ferrell himself". Likewise, The Atlantic declared it the actor's "best comedy in years".
Meanwhile, NY Post and Polygon both praised the original tracks in Eurovision - "The music hasn’t been half-assed; like everything else in the film, the songs have been crafted with love".
New Zealand's Stuff also gave the film a positive review, noting Ferrell's "signature surrealism, man-child schtick and self-deprecating humour that made movies like Old School, Anchorman, Talladega Nights and Elf such successes".
RogerEbert.com say Eurovision could be considered a "comeback film" for Ferrell, even though co-star McAdams steals it.
THE BAD
NY Times wrote that Eurovision is "so eye-searingly extra it makes Mamma Mia! look bashful" and slammed the "series of unfunny gags", while Empire called it a "muddling misfire" - "it’s hard to shake the feeling that the film has been defanged, unable or unwilling to fully make fun of Eurovision’s inherent ridiculousness".
The Guardian deemed it "weirdly pointless" and BBC's review can be summed up in one sentence: "You don't need to be a cinephile to know this film is dud."
FUN FACTS
- Yes, McAdams singing chops really are too good to be true. As Digital Spy reports, while that's the Canadian actress' real voice you're hearing at the beginning of some of the original tracks, the main vocals come from Molly Sandén, AKA My Marianne, who finished third for Sweden at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006.
- As for Stevens? Well, we know that he can sing (refer to 2017's Beauty & The Beast remake) but the current COVID pandemic actually prevented the UK actor from doing so. Instead, that's opera singer Erik Mjönes you hear.
- Oh, and yeah, that's actually Ferrell's voice too.
- How many former Eurovision contestants did you spot in the song-along sequence? Hint: there is a lot.
- The Volcano Man music video was actually shot on a real lava field in Keflavik, Iceland.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is on Netflix now.
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