The Campaign (2012) Reviews

• Ribald, funny, merciless fun at the expense of politicians and politics

  steven-leibson2012-09-04

  A very, very funny movie that's very, very coarse. If you are not amused by jokes about sex, body parts and bodily functions, effeminate men, scantily-clad women, politics, and politicians then this isn't your movie. If you like that sort of thing, then you need to see this movie now. Light, fluffy entertainment. No thinking required (or desired). Good guys win. Bad guys either lose or are redeemed. I run hot and cold on Will Farrel movies. This one's a keeper for him but the real star of this movie is Zach Galifianakis who seems to replicate Jack Black's character in "Bernie" but with a completely different take. This movie will make you feel better about what's coming to American politics in the next three months.

• Good satire of politics.

  mm-392012-08-23

  The Campaign is a good satire of politics. The Campaign shows why the public has lost faith in the USA political process. The satire of the movie shows how candidates do not answer questions, but skirt issues and use generic themes like freedom etc. The Campaign shows there is no discussion of the issues and the two candidates deteriorate the campaign into the Springer show. One has sex with the other's wife as a campaign ad. The Campaign shows that the special interests run both parties, which is the reason why there is no real debate, and interest in what is good for the community. The film is funny but has some low ball comedy on Religion, sex, and people. I give The Campaign a seven out of ten.

• A simple comedy that does its job.

  gordyh962012-08-19

  After reading many reviews, i have to agree that this is a technically a bad film. The humor in this movie is very raw and crude (which doesn't bother me), and it has a very simple storyline. I was ready to give this movie a rating of a 5 or below until i stopped looking into the movie too much, and saw it for what it is. The purpose of a comedy is to make people laugh, and that is exactly what myself and the rest of the theater did for the majority of the movie. The movie is so relevant as well with the upcoming presidential elections, and i feel this movie helps take the edge of the brutality of the current Obama vs. Romney. If you just want to see a simple movie that will make you laugh without having to think about the plot, then see the movie.

• An entertaining, but not totally satisfactory, political satire

  Argemaluco2012-11-01

  The election period in the United States has traditionally been a fountain of humorous material exploited to the maximum by the comedians, most of them on TV, but also in cinema, as we can see this year in the film The Campaign, directed by Jay Roach, whose filmography includes some excellent comedies (the Austin Powers trilogy)...and other deeply irritating ones (Meet the Fockers, Dinner for Schmucks). I would also like to point out that The Campaign isn't Roach's first incursion into the political field, because he also made the TV movies Recount and Game Change, which both made a brilliant work in portraying the pressures and vices from a presidential campaign from a serious and (more or less) impartial point of view. Could The Campaign achieve the same but in a humorous context? I don't think so, but I can't deny I found the film entertaining nevertheless. I think there's an excellent political satire hidden in some place of The Campaign. The general premise of an inept lout who is transformed into a charismatic candidate manipulated by the economical elite is very interesting; and even though it's not completely original, I think it's appropriate to occasionally remember it in order to recognize it whenever we find it in the real world (something which undoubtedly happens with a sad frequency). However, the few intelligence from the screenplay is diluted by the coarse and vulgar humor employed as vehicle of the message. I have to admit I laughed in various occasions (specially during the "Our Father" scene), and I definitely found some ingenuity in the creation of absurd but credible situations (at least in the filthy context of contemporary politics)...however, for every scene that works, there's five or six which only provoke whining, specially due to the tendency the actors show to "play the fool". I think this is a very subjective point in any comedy; but in my personal taste, the humor always works better when the actors take their roles seriously and let the comedy to naturally flow from their attitudes and reactions. When they try to force the laughs with a physical or verbal affectation, they lose spontaneity and, specially, destruct the reality of the characters in order to transform them into caricatures. And besides of that, I found the screenplay of The Campaign too innocent and predictable, taking a safe route until leading to a happy ending. So, I guess that not all the political satires can be as subtle and effective as Wag the Dog or In the Loop; however, I can give a moderate recommendation to The Campaign as an entertaining comedy, despite not being very memorable.

• Very Funny and a Perfect Match,

  lesleyharris302013-08-04

  The Campaign is a hilarious movie with a very clever storyline and a very talented and comedic cast that do a terrific job.When I first heard that Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis did a movie together,I had to see it,but then I heard it was disappointing so I delayed seeing.I decided to rent it,and I didn't see what the problem was,I though the movie was hilarious,there was a few misses but very few,and similar to Step Brothers and the Hangover,it has so much lines that are very quotable,also the two actors worked really well together.I really enjoyed Dylan McDermott,Sarah Baker,Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow,the casting for each character was all very well suited.If your a fan of both Will Ferrell and Zach Galifanakis comedies you will definitely love the Campaign. Long running congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) finally gets some competition from Marty Huggins (Zach Galifanakis),a man who may take over his career.They start a serious campaign against each other.