The Campaign - B

Rated R, 87 minutes

Raunchy "Campaign" lacks bite but is fun to watch

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis

"The Campaign" is a politically-based comedy that hits the box-office trail this weekend, and while it's not as sharp as you'd expect, this raunchy, profane-based comedy is well-cast and generates plenty of laugh-out loud moments. In order to gain influence in their North Carolina congressional district, two CEOs (John Lithgow and Dan Ackroyd)  try to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate, inexperienced Marty Huggins, director of the local tourism center. The film follows the two rival politicians Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) and Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) during the campaign as it escalates to a heated campaign of dirty tricks just in order to win. "The Campaign" isn't a sharp political satire, but a dumbed-down, over-the-top and obscene walk on the campaign trail, with an inspired Ferrell and Galifianakis taking center stage generating more laughs than votes this election year. Given the over-the-top nature, most of it works remarkably well, and while it most often takes the low road, it does show a contrast between how one candidate makes all the decisions while another doesn't make any himself. Ferrell, as the hard charging, bad-decision making experienced politician, and "The Hangover's" Galifianakis, as the lispy, naive Southerner, are the best thing about the script that relies too much on dirty jokes and predictable plot points instead of really saying something about politics, particularly in an election year. That doesn't mean that "The Campaign" isn't without a lot of hilarious moments (Galifianakis's family exposing their dirty secrets at the table is the funniest) that will make this hard to choose between who is the funniest here. Directed by Jay Roach (who interestingly directed the Emmy-nominated "Game Change" about the 2008 Presidential Election), "The Campaign" gets my vote as funniest political movie for this week. Enjoyable but raunchy, you won't think much but will laugh a lot.