Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

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4 stars
America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed.
— Eleanor Roosevelt, 1936

As can be seen from the opening quote, this is an evil, wicked movie.

Ricky Bobby was born in a car travelling 100 mph as his speed-crazed father drove past the hospital. As a boy he drove everyone crazy by constantly saying “I want to go fast, I want to go fast!” Naturally he grew up to achieve fame and fortune as a NASCAR driver.

Ricky gained all the trappings of material success. He had a big house, a hot trashy wife, and two adorable trash-talking sons named “Walker” and “Texas Ranger”. A simple patriotic man, he would engage in interminable debates over whether it is better to pray to baby Jesus or grown-up Jesus.

But Ricky’s life took a turn for the worse on the day that he met his nemisis and arch-enemy: Jean Girrard, a French Formula One driver. A French existentialist Formula One driver. A gay French existentialist Formula One driver.

This is not a deep or uplifting movie. It is a movie about fast living and fast driving and fast women and product placement. (Loads and loads of product placement. This is NASCAR, right?) It is a movie that bombards you with absurdities until you are helpless with laughter.

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language, drug references and brief comic violence.