4 out of 5 stars

“Shake and Bake!” is one of the most popular sayings after the opening of the film Talladega Nights. This film follows the story of #1 NASCAR driver Ricky Bobby and his life events— as he is on top of the racing world one minute and off of it the next. When you are winning, you feel invincible, until something knocks you off your pedestal. That something for Ricky Bobby ended up being a French Formula One driver named Jean Girard.

Threatened by this new driver, Bobby challenges Jean Girard and is beaten on the track. Needing to re-assert his dominance in the racing world, Bobby pushes the limit during the next race and gets himself into trouble, causing a crash. As he is tended too, he ultimately cracks under the pressure and is shunned by close friends, family, and the racing world.

Girard is now on top and is the one thing standing in the way of Bobby getting back to his winning circle in both racing and life. Now that Bobby is at his all-time low, he fears racing and going fast and does not see a fix to his dilemma. Can he get back on top of his racing pedestal or will he let his enemy rule his every move?

If you enjoy Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and Sacha Baron Cohen films, then this is the movie for you, as it has all three hot shots of the film industry. Not only is this film funny, but it has a great storyline. Every turn there is comedic relief and Will Ferrell gives life to his character, Ricky Bobby. In other words, he was the perfect fit. As NASCAR is an ever popular sport, this film portrays NASCAR’s trends and personalities in a comedic light, as the sport is ever so serious. Overall, I gave this film 4 out of 5 stars because of the casting of the actors and the comedic relief this film provides.