DVD Review: Blades of Glory

DVD Reviews

By Jeff Swindoll Aug 27, 2007, 15:35 GMT

“They put the “bone” in zamboni.”

Will Ferrell and Jon Heder star in this hilarious comedy about pair’s figure skating. Who knew that this sport was ripe for comedic mining but mine they do and funny they find. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) is the bad boy of male figure skating and has the hickeys to prove it. Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) is the blond wonderboy adopted son of millionaire Darren MacElroy (William Fichtner), who raised Jimmy just like he bred horses – to be a champion. Chazz is the horndog of skating and Jimmy is dedicated to his art – so naturally they hate each other.

When they tie for a competition the awards ceremony turns into a slugfest and both are banned for life from competing in men’s figure skating. Years pass and time has not been kind to both men. Jimmy is working at a sports shop and Chazz is doing time in a follies on ice show (under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol). Jimmy’s psycho, obsessed fan Hector (Nick Swardson) points out a loophole in the lifetime banishment rules – he’s only been banned in his division. So he can’t skate in men’s singles, but he can skate in couples. Jimmy goes to the ice capades to look for a gal to share the ice with and runs into Chazz. A fight breaks out and Jimmy’s old coach (Craig T. Nelson) watches it on television and realizes that the two of them would make a great team, but can they get together without killing each other? Couples champions Fairchild (Amy Poehler) and Stranz (Will Arnett) Van Waldenberg sense that their crown might be in danger of being toppled. Jimmy develops a crush on their younger sister Katie (Jenna Fischer). However, both Chazz and Jimmy might be crushed by the forbidden move that coach wants them to use which usually results in a decapitation. I guess that figure skating was ripe for being satirized but who knew that it could be done so hilariously? Kudos definitely go to Will Ferrell who adds another great comic character to his resume in the horny Chazz.

Jon Heder still has a bit of Napoleon Dynamite in his performance, but there’s also a bit of sweetness in his romance with Jenna Fischer. Other standouts in comedy greatness are married couple Amy Poehler and Will Arnett who play brother and sister – that’s just wrong – but funny. The show has plenty of laughs and craziness to keep you entertained. Blades of Glory is presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) and is enhanced for 16x9 televisions. A fullscreen presentation is available separately. Special features include the 14 minute “Return to Glory: The Making of Blades of Glory” which interviews Will Ferrell, producer Stuart Cornfeld, Will Arnett, producer Ben Stiller, directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, and Jenna Fischer. Next is the 6-minute “Celebrities on Thin Ice” which interviews skating choreographer Sarah Kawahara about training the stars to hit the ice. The 4-minute “Cooler than Ice” interviews costume designer Julie Weiss about the skating costumes. The 5 minute “Arnett & Poehler: A Family Affair” interviews the couple and their responses are hilarious. The 5-minute “20 Questions for Scott Hamilton” sits down with the skating legend. The 3 minute “Hector: Portrait of a Psychofan” sits down with Nick Swardson in character to talk about his obsession. Next are 9 minutes of deleted scenes that are just as funny as the film is. Bo Dice performs the 4-minute “Blades of Glory” music video. There’s also a 2 minute gag reel, 8 minutes of alternate takes, the 9 minute Moviephone Unscripted (with Ferrell, Heder, and Arnett), 90 seconds of MTV commercials, a photo gallery, and previews for other Dreamwork DVDs. For a comedy I thought that it was quite a loaded DVD presentation. Even if you’re not a fan of figure skating you’ll still find something to die laughing from. Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, and company is hilarious on and off the ice. Not to mention a great use of Queen’s Flash Gordon that had me rolling on the floor.

Blades of Glory is now available at Amazon and AmazonUK. Visit the DVD database for more information.

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DVD Review: Blades of Glory

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