Chabot Spectator

Issue date: 3/29/07 Section: The Scene

Media Credit: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures Will Ferrell and John Heder play figure skating partners in Blades of Glory.

There is possibly nothing funnier than Will Ferrell and John Heder in sequins and spandex, well, nothing funnier within the physical and slapstick comedy realm.

Once again type casting applies with Heder playing Jimmy MacElroy, a na've young man who is possibly sexually confused. And Ferrell portrays Chazz Michael Michaels, the older, dirtier loose cannon.

Ferrell and Heder are not the only stars in this cast. Joining them are Will Arnett of Arrested Development fame, Saturday Night Live castmate Amy Poehler, Jenna Fischer of The Office, William Fichter who's credits include Crash,

The Perfect Storm and most recently the television series Prison Break, and Craig T. Nelson who gained fame in the series Coach which the plot and casting of Blades of Glory use to full comedic advantage.

The dynamic between the characters is exactly what advertisements have hyped it up to be. Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy are two completely different figure skaters, Michaels being a sex-crazed thrill junkie and MacElroy the innocent wonder-kid who has been groomed to be the perfect figure skater.

Early off in the movie tragedy strikes and Michaels and MaElroy are banned from men's figure skating for brawling over the gold medal at a competition and lighting Snowflake the fictitious mascot of the figure skating federation on fire.

William Daniels, known to many as Boy Meets World's Mr. Feeny, plays the skating federation's commissioner who viciously bans Michaels and MacElroy.

Three and a half years later a stalker of MacElroy's appears at his dead-end job and tells MacElroy about a loophole that allows for figure skaters to compete outside of the division from which they were banned. It is by intervention of the Coach character that the skating duo was originally united.

Arnett and Poehler portray the ultimate antagonists as a brother-sister pairs skating phenomenon Stranz and Fairchuld Van Waldenberg.

They pull off stunts to make their younger sister Katie, feel guilty. Katie videotapes the practice sessions of Michaels and MacElroy.

Ultimately it is Stranz and Fairchild who attempt to take down Michaels and MacElroy with Tonya Harding like trickery and downright dirty tactics. These create even more physical comedy for Ferrell and Heder, and an obstacle to overcome and unite them.

Though there is plot complexity this flick scrapes by on physical comedy and slapstick moments. If you are incapable of laughing at homosexual jokes and guys getting hit in the genitals then this film is not for you.

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