Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga

It's no secret that Will Ferrell has been in a bit of a slump in recent years. 

He's a gifted comedian, whether you can tolerate him or not, but outrageously funny hits like Step Brothers, The Other Guys, and Anchorman feel far in the past after some less funny films (most recent ones of which I haven't seen) like Daddy's Home or the abysmal Zoolander 2. 

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga doesn't fix that slump - it's certainly not Ferrell's funniest by a wide margin - but it gives the audience a lot more to react to than just his zany antics, making for one of his best and most enjoyable films in years. 

It could have gone very, very wrong by just focusing solely on him and given that it seems to have gotten dumped quickly on Netflix (I feel like I just saw the first trailer a month ago) and it's incredibly silly premise, I imagine that's what most believed would happen. In fact, most critics would like say that is what happened, but I'd disagree with them. 

Don't misunderstand me. Eurovision [abbreviated title here] is silly and stupid. It starts with Will Ferrell dressed as a sparkly viking, standing on an Icelandic beach, singing "Volcano Man" in a music video. So yes...you should know what you're getting into from the first seconds of the movie. But if that part makes you chuckle and you find yourself not hating the music (even if you feel like you should), then you're likely in for an entertaining ride. 

Eurovision is about Lars (Ferrell, playing his typical adult man-child) and his singing partner Sigrit (McAdams). Their dream is to make it on the European Eurovision song contest where multiple countries compete to have bragging rights of the most talented artist. Through a series of unfortunate but funny accidents, they get their chance. BUT WILL THE FAME RIP THEM APART?! Obviously, it's not meant to be a incredibly compelling plot, and I'll return to the aforementioned silliness that inserts itself throughout (Sigrit believes in small elves for example), but unless you hate it from the get-go, you'll find yourself strangely invested in Sigrit and Lars' journey and having a fun time. It reminded me a lot of the Pitch Perfect films (just the first two, not the disappointing final one). Eurovision isn't as witty and biting as those films' humor, but it's got similar heart. There's obviously some overlap with the music aspect and a scene stolen straight from something that would happen in the Pitchiverse (patent pending), but I always found the Pitch Perfect films had characters you cared about and rooted for, giving the film a soul and heart. I found Eurovision to share that same spirit.

You can almost see exactly how this performance goes awry...

Dan Stevens as a singing Russian
is some enjoyable comedy

Ferrell and especially McAdams are a huge part of this. Ferrell seems to find a good balance of over-the-top antics, but also letting McAdams' Sigrit have the spotlight (both actually in the film and on stage). The jokes definitely don't all land and some are just flat dumb/bad, but more often than not the film can elicit some laughs and finds where it works better than it doesn't. McAdams in particular looks to be having a wonderful time and it can't be understated how much she adds to the film here, similar to what she brought to Game Night. You can tell she's up for the silliness and the willingness makes her innocent character one you want to follow and see "win". Other cast members like Pierce Brosnan, Dan Stevens, and Demi Lovato are similarly welcoming to the fun so it makes sure that Ferrell doesn't have to carry or lead the entire film.

Perhaps most shocking about Eurovision Song Contest is that I was totally here for the music. Nearly every song is catchy and memorable. It's a much different musical genre than The Greatest Showman, but I could see a similar phenomenon where that film's songs help to push its success to surprising boundaries. A lot of them are really fun, and full of contagious spirit while just being flat-out catchy. Ya Ya Ding Dong! will ingrain itself into your head (and subsequently make you laugh at the Icelandic man who's furiously passionate about it) as will Double Trouble, among others. I can't even necessarily say this is my musical genre - but hey, I know what I like!

So if this doesn't remotely make you laugh or
seem interesting to you, Eurovision may not be your movie...

Eurovision Song Contest just worked for me on a lot of levels. It didn't need to be 2 hours long by any stretch of the imagination and I wish it could have been "classic" Will Ferrell levels of funny, but its heart is in the right place and it does a good job of entertaining you with mildly funny humor, memorable characters, and shockingly good/catchy music. Over the course of time I could see this becoming one of Will Ferrell's better regarded films once you get through the top tier ones that started his career. For example, I like it more than my final score indicates.

CONS

• Too long at nearly 2 hours
• Some subplots could have been shortened
• Not tremendously funny and some jokes fall flat
• Handful of musical segments that are forgettable/not as great as the rest
• Will Ferrell still playing the adult man-child role...again

PROS

• Some jokes land and the physical comedy can be funny
• Ferrell and McAdams make a good pair with surprising chemistry. McAdams elevates this film
• Supporting cast is a fun set of "Hey I know them" characters
• Good balance of focusing on Ferrell's antics and other elements of the film. Because the film doesn't wholly center on him, it's better for it
• Has a lot of heart and fun spirit. I found it consistently entertaining
• How much I loved the music shocked me
• Pretty good balance of goofiness, heart, and musical performances

Rath's Review Score | 7.5/10