Ferrell and Galifianakis disappoint in ‘The Campaign’

Comedians Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis team up for Jay Roach’s "The Campaign," and the results are less than stellar.

The movie, which debuted in theaters Aug. 10, earned $10.3 million on opening day and an impressive $29 million on its opening weekend.

These sales prove Ferrell and Galifianakis remain two of the most popular comedians in the business today, but popularity alone does not ensure a good film, and "The Campaign" is a classic example of this.

Despite having a dream duo leading the way, "The Campaign" sputters thanks to poor writing and a generic plot.

Look, I love Will Ferrell as much as the next guy, but watching him play the cocky, womanizing man of power is getting a little old.

It is almost as if Ron Burgundy is running for Congress in "The Campaign," and, while that sounds amazing, its execution is far from the excellence of "Anchorman."

Ferrell’s acting is solid as always, but his jokes and one-liners in "The Campaign" are sterile, overused and way over the top.

His character might make a 16-year-old jock laugh, but there were few truly gut-busting moments for the film’s intended audience.

In addition, the plot line that Ferrell’s character follows could not be more predictable.

He begins as a popular Congressman who has it all – the wife, the house, the votes – but he eventually loses it all as the movie progresses.

Can he regain it in dramatic, touching fashion or will he fall, a defeated and deflated shell of his former self?

While I do not wish to spoil the movie, I already told you that the story line is generic, so take your pick.

Galifianakis’ character, on the other hand, is much more developed and decidedly funnier throughout the film.

Galifianakis plays Marty Huggins, a well-to-do, effeminate husband and father who lives a simple and satisfied life in his beloved North Carolina home.

Huggins’ quaint life takes a drastic turn as the movie begins, though, and he is selected to oppose Ferrell in the upcoming state elections.

This is the story of "The Campaign": two polar opposites run for Congress, lying and cheating their way to the top.

The movie, to this end, has some current political undertones, but the focus of the movie is definitely on Ferrell and Galifianakis just being funny.

For such a seemingly perfect tandem, the movie is not as funny as you think it should be, and when you add in a weak plot and cliched writing, "The Campaign" has "wait for the DVD" written all over it.