Blades of Glory - Movie Review

BLADES OF GLORY is the ice skating comedy. starring Will Ferrell and Jon Heder. Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, and Craig T. Nelson also round out the cast along with cameos by other notable names.

Ferrell and Heder play arch rival figure skaters Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy. Chazz is the skating outlaw and sex symbol on ice. Jimmy is the distinctively sensitive orphan child prodigy. Following a ridiculous awards brawl after tying for Olympic Gold, Chazz and Jimmy are banned from Men's Singles competition for life. Three and a half years later, Jimmy's Coach (Craig T. Nelson) discovers a loop hole in the ban. The lifetime ban does not apply to pairs figure skating competition. Therefore, Chazz and Jimmy make history and the tabloids as the first ever male-male pairs team. Coach inspires his men that as a male-male pairs team they can risk moves that other mixed pairs can't—including his "lotus" death spiral. Chazz and Jimmy challenge the reign of pairs champions Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), an eerie brother and sister duo. Innocent Jimmy is smitten by the Van Waldenberg's younger sister Katie (Jenna Fischer). Thus, the stage is set. Can Chazz and Jimmy overcome their egos and determine who the dude of the pair is? Can Coach inspire his men to reclaim their past greatness? And is there no limit to the ruthlessness of the Van Waldenbergs? Well, "Blades of Glory" is predictable to its soul. However, it is also refreshingly funny. There are groin jokes, and there are more groin jokes.


Most of the humor comes from perfect casting of the characters. Will Ferrell's Chazz is so shamelessly stupid and arrogant; one need only applaud and admire. Ferrell's gift is that he stays in character throughout, oblivious to how funny he is. He and Heder have great chemistry. They have a hilarious scene where Chazz describes the origin of his tattoos. Jon Heder is a surprise. He actually fleshes out the sensitive Jimmy as a charming innocent. His relationship with Katie (Jenna Fischer) is humorously sweet and awkward. Fischer is also great as Katie, as an unwilling pawn of the Waldenbergs. Craig T. Nelson is awesome. He provides a surreal and ridiculous authority. The only weakness may be Stranz and Fairchild Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler). Though likely more an artifact of the story, Stranz and Fairchild are inept and evil without posing any real comedic threat. Arnett and Poehler are funny, but in a one note fashion.

Overall this movie is a good watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon, do not expect too much from it though .