Movie Review: Blades of Glory

Blades of Glory

Like many women, I really love figure skating. I'm less fond of Will Ferrell comedies, but will readily admit that he has his moments. Despite the positive aspects of both of these things, it wasn't easy to imagine a successful combination of the two. Still, with surprisingly good early reviews and two teen-aged friends who were also interested in seeing Blades of Glory, I was happy to settle into my seat for a Friday night showing.

The titular Blades of Glory belong to the skates of the technically and artistically brilliant Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder), and his arch-rival, the sexually overwhelming and powerfully creative Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell). Both are top ranked male figure skaters, but the only other thing the two have in common is their utter disdain and deep dislike for each other.

After having traded wins all season, Chazz and Jimmy find themselves neck and neck in a world championship competition. Jimmy skates his usual classically beautiful performance while Chazz promptly follows only to bring the house down with his own leather-and-rock-and-roll routine. Each is sure he's the better skater and gave the winning performance. When the judges give them tying marks, though, neither is prepared to accept sharing a gold medal. The fist fight that follows gets the two banned from figure skating competition for life.

Each in their own unique way has lived for skating and nothing else for most of their lives. As a result, the skating ban finds the two men in dramatically different circumstances just a few years later. Both struggle in their own way to cope, but neither is particularly successful at it. But then a close review of the rule book shows that there is a loophole that might permit the men to compete again. If Chazz and Jimmy can bury their enmity long enough to work together, there's nothing in the regulations that would prevent them from skating as a pair.

Together with a coach (Craig T. Nelson) willing to buck the status quo and a talented though reluctant choreographer (Romany Malco), Chazz and Jimmy lace up their skates and train hard to prepare for the upcoming US Nationals. Although the men still don't like each other even a little, they've got a dream that keeps them cooperating with each other. Meanwhile, champion pairs skaters Stranz Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett) and his sister, Fairchild (Amy Poehler) have a goal, too. They intend to keep their own figure skating crown from being tarnished — or far worse, lost — to the newcomers. And they'll stop at nothing to best the competition.

Now all of this sounds like a fairly routine plot for a fairly routine — despite the male/male pairing — sports movie. But the utter seriousness of the actors while delivering some of the craziest of lines, and their obvious and total commitment to some of the silliest stunts ever put on film, ensures that routine is the last thing that could describe Blades of Glory.

Will Ferrell, as I said earlier, has his moments. I loved him in Elf, but was deeply disappointed in Talledega Nights. His Chazz Michael Michaels, though, redeems Ferrell in my eyes once again. His facial expressions and mannerisms are genius here, and his ability to do physical comedy is put to a test that he handily passes. Jon Heder, meanwhile, is perfectly cast and brilliantly holds his own in scenes with Ferrell. In fact, the two are so good together that I suspect we'll see them again in another film in the future.

Will Arnett actually looks like he might be a figure skater with his lean lines and apparent grace, and his Stranz Van Waldenberg is deliciously dumb and irredeemably nasty. Amy Poehler (who happens to be Arnett's wife), however, plays her part less successfully. Where Arnett is stupidly single-minded, Poehler is just shrill. It only makes it worse that she lacks any of the beauty of movement of a real skater.

Others in supporting roles are fine, most especially Jenna Fischer who takes a role as the Van Waldenberg's younger sibling and makes it sweetly silly in a way that meshes nicely with everything that Ferrell and Heder do. Kudos, too, to all of the real life figure skaters who chose to play some small part in Blades of Glory, most notably the irrepressible Scott Hamilton who excitedly offers up commentary during the various competitions.

I thought Blades of Glory was mildly amusing even at its worst moments, and laugh-out-loud funny in its best. After the movie was over, I spent some time talking with the teen-agers — one male, one female — who saw it with me. Well, actually, we didn't so much talk as repeat certain lines from the film to each other and then laugh hysterically. I don't know that you can get a much better recommendation for a movie from a teen than that, and I'm not sure I could give you higher praise for Blades of Glory myself.

If you're looking for something moving or inspiring, look elsewhere. But if you just want to laugh for an hour and a half, Blades of Glory will do the trick. One added note: Stay for the credits. Trust me.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: Blades of Glory is rated PG-13 for "crude and sexual humor, language, a comic violent image, and some drug use." I think that the rating is just about right. Nothing in Blades of Glory is particularly over the top, but there are plenty of things I wouldn't want the average six year-old seeing or hearing. If your kids are older, though, Blades should be just fine for them. The added bonus here is that I suspect you're going to like it, too.