Movie Info
Movie Name: Blades of Glory
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Genre(s): Comedy/Sports
Release Date(s): March 30, 2007
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Dreams crushed
Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) was born to skate and has the form of an angel. Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell) is a flashy performer with a sex addiction. When a fight eliminates the two from ever competing again, a loophole allows them to enter competition as the first male-male pair of figure skaters. Now, Chazz and Jimmy must get over their hatred of each other to win gold with the help of their coach (Craig T. Nelson). Their rivals, brother and sister team Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett and Amy Poehler), have other plans and will stop at nothing to stop them…even it means using their younger sister Katie (Jenna Fischer) to steal Jimmy’s heart and crush it!
Directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon, Blades of Glory was a spoof of the sports world of figure skating. The movie was released to relatively positive reviews and big box office returns.
Good Vibrations!
Blades of Glory is a fun movie, though like many Will Ferrell movies, no comedy classic. The combination of Napoleon Dynamite star Jon Heder and Ferrell is a great combination, and when you add a strong supporting cast willing to humiliate themselves, it comes out as a nice light-hearted comedy.
The story of Blades of Glory already has the humor of figure skating infused with it. People who like figure skating might enjoy the parody of their sport (though it is pretty ruthless). People who don’t like figure skating will like that it points out the ridiculous and questionable “sport” of figure skating. There isn’t much plot to the story, and it developed as you expected it to.
The deadly Iron Lotus!
Heder actually seems to be the star of this film. He gets the meatier of the roles with the romance with Fischer who always plays the nice girl in these comedies. Ferrell is fun as the louder of the two characters. His sex addiction is a bit generic though I do love the slow chase his ending fight with Arnett. Arnett and Poehler are good as the incest brother and sister (they were husband and wife at the time so willing to go all out). I kind of thought there would be more with William Fichtner as Jimmy’s adopted father who abandons him but was surprised to find no return to this story aspect.
Chazz Michael Michaels wants you!!!
The movie relies heavily on the visual of two men figure skate. Much like the classic SNL skit of the male synchronized swimmers, there is something inherently funny about it. The glam and colors of figure skating lead them to some nice looks and fun scenes.
Blades of Glory is fluff but it is fun fluff. The movie can be enjoyed on multiple levels, but only if the viewer doesn’t go into it expecting more from it. If you are a fan of figure skating, you’ll be treated by appearances from Sasha Cohen, Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, and Nancy Kerrigan, so it might just be another reason to stop by if you are a fan.
