Movie Title: Blades of Glory
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10)
Year: 2007
Blades of Glory official site: http://www.bladesofglorymovie.com/
Will Ferrell, it’s been a while since we heard from the man, and when he starts appearing, he just wouldn’t stop. It’s a great thing coz I really think he is kinda funny and he is really cool!
Initially when I first saw the poster, I was way excited. I somehow mistaken Jon Heder as Owen Wilson. I thought to myself… Ferrell and Wilson! This must be hell of a comedy. But seriously, the poster convince me enough to watch it.
I am really entertained by this movie. The figure skating was excellent. Not to mention the costume, especially Heder’s peacock costume is simply amazing! The best of it all… it really make me laugh.
Spoiler begins here.
———————————————————————————————————————–
The movie starts of by focusing on the World Ice Skating competition. It’s now down to the two rivals, Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder) and Chazz Michael Michaels (Will Ferrell). They were both known as one of the best men skaters. Jimmy, a graceful and elegant skater. Always have the passion to skate and perform better. In between his routine, clips of how he was adopted from a nearby orphanage when a billionaire, Darren MacElroy (William Fichtner) who loves to breed gold-medallist discovers Jimmy’s skating talent. Under Darren, Jimmy was trained by professionals and live in a luxury world. However, this makes him a little sissy and is very particular about cleanliness.
Chazz on the other side is a sex-addict. His routine is very much difference from Jimmy’s. Chazz normally have a lot of provocative moves and really get the crowd to go along with him. Having no manager or professional trainers, Chazz is pretty much a lone ranger. He normally ends his routine with a dramatic fireworks ending which normally piss Jimmy off.
The results for the competition is announced. Both Chazz and Jimmy tied for the gold. Both were not happy with results. Each thought that their own moves were better. They pushes each other while walking to the stage. The pushing around doesn’t stop and resulted both to fall out from the stage and fight on the floor. While they were fighting, they accidently set the Games mascot on fire. Both Chazz and Jimmy was being was sentence to a lifetime ban from the men’s singles competition.
Upon knowing that Jimmy was banned for life, Darren disowned Jimmy and throw him out of the car. The movie then picks up six months later. Since the ban, Chazz have been skating for a kids show. He takes up the role as an Evil Wizard. He got drunk most of the nights trying to get away with the fact that he was banned.
As for Jimmy, he is seen working for a skate supply shop. He tried his very best to tell his customers what is best for them but was constantly ignored. One day, one of Jimmy’s die hard fans, Hector (Nick Swardson) showed up in the shop where Jimmy is working. Hector then tries to to convince Jimmy to skate once again. At first, Jimmy thought Hector is just stalking him. But when Hector pulls out the rules and regulations about the skating competition, they manage to spot a loophole whereby Jimmy is only banned in the men’s single competition. That means, he could still participate in a pair skating.
Jimmy is all excited over the news and started contacting his old coach (Craig T. Nelson). he tried to ask his coach to find him a female partner but at no vail. While trying to look for a female partner at the kids show Chazz is working on, both of them got off the wrong foot once again. Being drunk and upset over the fact that he just got fired, Chazz fight with Jimmy and both ended up being jailed as they wrecked the show.
Jimmy’s coach then manage to see the footages and clips of their fight through the news and notices that many of their tossing and pulling scenes are similar to the pair skating styles. He thinks Chazz and Jimmy might just work well in the pair skating section. He then bails Chazz and Jimmy out and convince them that it would work and they will build a name for being the first same sex pair skater.
The media is all over the close brother and sister pair Fairchild Van Waldenberg (Amy Poehler) and Stranz Van Waldenberg (Will Arnett). Their parents used to be one of the best pair skaters. After they died from a car accident, Fairchild and Stranz took over where their parents left off has never been defeated in the pair skating competition since then.
The time to register for the pair skating competition is up. Fairchild and Stranz thought they would be the highlight of of the event, Instead, the spotlight was quickly grabbed by Chazz and Jimmy when they decided to step their feet over and join the pair skating competition. Fairchild and Stranz see the threat and starts to plot against Chazz and Jimmy. When they saw Jimmy talking to Katie Van Waldenberg (Jenna Fischer), they started to emotionally blackmail her to be a spy. Apparently, Katie’s parents died in the car accident while trying to pick Katie back from her ice skating class.
On the other side, Jimmy’s coach put Chazz and Jimmy to stay together. He wants both of them to create the teamwork spirit and get along well more. Things didn’t start of well. Both were fighting over small stuff.. which includes who sleep where, who sits where, who eats what. Every single thing could just spark a fight. Despite a bad start due to unfamiliar habits, both slowly starts to respect each other.
Jimmy is totally amazed with Chazz’s hair brush. However he is even more curious about the tattoo’s on Chazz body which very much represents the other female ice skaters whom he slept with. Chazz pretty much explains most of the tattoo.. except one. Chazz then asked Jimmy to call Katie and ask her out on a date. Jimmy was reluctant in the first place, but when Chazz called Katie up and pass it over to Jimmy, he braves himself up and asked her out.
Both went out on a date and Katie have been there supporting Jimmy and Chazz but forced to record their routine and show it to her brother and sister. Looking at the tape, Fairchild and Stranz laughed at how Chazz threw Jimmy out of the ring in their practice routine.
On the day of the competition, Fairchild and Stranz did an amazing performance. They manage to get the crowd to cheer for them. It is then the turn for Chazz and Jimmy. Feeling stressed and uneasy and everyone is giving them a weird look, they started with a lousy performance. They were so nervous that at the first jump, Chazz fails to catch Jimmy and he ended up crashing him to the sides. The crowd went silent for a while. They then gave a big cheer to support them. Seeing how people are still reacting and loving them, they continue on and did a fantastic job to secure them a place at the finals.
Both Chazz and Jimmy was happy with what they had done so far. However, Jimmy’s coach told them that, they would have no chance of winning in the finals. They would need the Iron Lotus technique to guarantee them a win. The Iron Lotus is an extremely complicated and dangerous technique to learn and perform. Jimmy’s coach then proceed to show them the video whereby only skater’s from North Korea is crazy enough to perform that technique… which resulted death. Chazz and Jimmy is aware of the consequences whereby one of the partner might be beheaded.
Knowing this is their only chance, they both decided to give it a try and have been training hard to perform the stunt. After months of hard training to perfect their routine, Chazz and Jimmy have become good friends. Fairchild and Stranz saw how close they have become and tries to find way to break up their partnership.
Knowing Jimmy and Katie is in love, Fairchild and Stranz tries to blackmail Katie. However, the old trick don’t seems to work anymore. This time, they threaten to handicap Jimmy if she does not help. Fairchild and Stranz asked Katie to lure and sleep with Chazz to breakup their friendship.
The plan started when Katie appears in Chazz’s sex addict meetings. Katie admits she is a sex addict too. In the meeting she tries to provoke Chazz. Later on that night, Katie invites Chazz over to her room. Katie is waiting for Chazz in the room wearing a sexy outfit. Being confused and a sex addict, Chazz turned up in Katie’s room. Chazz is torn between two sides. He knows what he did was wrong and refuses to sleep with Katie as he know she is Jimmy’s girlfriend. On the other hand, he is too addicted to sex and he just can’t help himself but to fondle Katie.
Jimmy was tricked to go to Katie’s room and saw Chazz fondling Katie’s breast. Being upset and heartbroken, he ran off. Guilty over what has happened, Chazz tries to contact Jimmy through his mobile but at no vail. Chazz tries and tries. There were many scene where Chazz is seen to give up and doesn’t even bother to continue calling Jimmy anymore. However on later scenes, Chazz continues to call Jimmy for the whole night to apologize to Jimmy.
Worried with the fact that what have happen is not enough to break their friendship, Stranz kidnap Chazz. As for Jimmy, he was being handcuffed to a rail in the toilet by Fairchild. Fairchild reveals to Jimmy that Chazz did not sleep with Katie, which is why she would have to kidnap him herself to ensure things happen the right way. After locking Jimmy, Fairchild throw the keys in a rubbish bin nearby. A kid who came into the toilet knocked on the rubbish bin and ran off. Jimmy saw the key lying on the role of tissue paper. Having no choice and is determined to appear on the competition, Jimmy uses his mouth to pull the tissue paper alongside a lot of garbage. This is quite a shocking move as Jimmy is portrayed as someone who is a cleanliness freak.
Stranz kidnap Chazz and lock him in a storage room. Thinking there is no chance for him to escape, Stranz left after he tied Chazz. Not knowing that it is a place for Ice skating shoes storage, Chazz manages to cut of the rope, hop on a new ice skating shoe and skate his way to the stadium. Stranz then notices Chazz has break lose and chase after him. There were lots and lots of of wild goose chase. While chasing after Chazz, Stranz saw a crossbow and starts shooting at Chazz. However it slips and hit on the Games mascot.
The chase continues and ended with Chazz falling in to the thin ice under the bridge. Thinking Chazz has died, Stranz got back to the stadium and started their JFK and Marilyn Monroe’s action on the skating ring. It was a total hit and the audience totally love it.
Jimmy manages to escape and have been waiting for Chazz to appear in the ring. Jimmy then walks in to the ring alone, having faith that Chazz would appear. Seconds before both of them were disqualified from the event, Chazz appear. Before he joins Jimmy in the show, he shout out from far that he did not slept with Katie. Jimmy shouted back to Chazz telling him that he know what exactly happened.
They both make up and started their robotic act. Their opening moves makes the crowd go crazy. Seeing both of them do such an excellent job, Fairchild pulled her pearl necklace on to the ice. Chazz broke his ankle when he skate pass one of the pearl which enables him to perform the Iron Lotus as Chazz would have to throw Jimmy in to the air. Knowing that, Jimmy suggested to change position with Chazz. Having faith in their friendship, Chazz agrees even when he knows Jimmy have not practiced any of the moves before.
When Jimmy threw Chazz up in the air, the crowd watch with excitement. They all cheered crazily when Jimmy and Chazz manage to pull through the act. The success of the Iron Lotus technique earns Jimmy and Chazz a win. Jimmy manage to patch things up with Katie while the Fairchild and Stranz was arrested for trying to kill Jimmy and Chazz and also hurting the Games mascot.
After receiving their gold medal, Chazz reveals a new tattoo next to the mysterious tattoo which symbolizes Chazz is no long a lone ranger. He now have a partner and that partner is Jimmy. Later, both of them blast off out of the stadium with the rockets from their skates. They both then creates a new sign in the air which shows their first awkward move, the crotch grab pose.
The show appears to end after the credits come out. But after a while, there are scenes of hector talking to himself. He is playing with Jimmy and Chazz figures in a doll house. The self conversation was hilarious with hector trying to make fun of how Jimmy didn’t even thank him for looking out for the loophole and now that he has Chazz, he has forgotten him.
———————————————————————————————————————–
Spoiler ends here.
It was a real funny show. I can’t stop laughing. There are some verbal jokes there and then, but it was pretty much the visually funny stuff that get everyone laughing especially Will Ferrell’s expressions. I really think he did a great job. There weren’t much action packed stuff. There isn’t much talking and it really does prove it doesn’t need a real high budget movie to entertain me.
Of course there were many mistakes there and there like the obvious stunts double. The ending scene where Chazz rip of his cloths to show Jimmy his new tattoo, but as they were flying out of the stadium, his cloths were brand new.
Well well, what can I say.. nothing is perfect! Now, this is really a show worth to see if you really wanted a good laugh. A real good one… and I mean it!