Just watched this for the 2nd time today on a plane. Definitely a ****ty movie (I think five laughs is about right) but I found it really hard not to like it just because of Will Ferrell's enthusiasm. Keep in mind Ferrell made ELF before OLD SCHOOL was released and made him the huge star he's considered now. Personally, I think he's the funniest guy out there right now. He was by far the funniest SNL performer since the Sandler/Farley days, he was hilarious in ANCHORMAN even though that movie was weak as a whole, and I must have watched that anti-Bush ad he did over the summer about 50 times. He's at his peak right now, I just hope it goes on for longer than, say, Chevy Chase's extremely short peak in the early to mid 80s. All my opinion of course.

Farrell, like Jim Carrey, is obsessed with being taken more seriously as an actor, and is (perhaps thankfully) looking at more sophisticated and/or quirky fare. Look for Farrell soon in the semi-serious dramedy WINTER PASSING. Tosh, I think the script you're hoping to see him do is STRANGER THAN FICTION which he's shooting this spring. It was probably the best screenplay I read all year -- the one that everybody in the film industry was buzzing about. It should be his equivalent of Jim Carrey's ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND.

Not to say he's done with idiotic comedy. We'll have to wait and see how two potentially dubious projects turn out -- KICKING AND SCREAMING (Ferrell plays the coach of a little league soccer team that takes on his evil dad's -- little league team) and BEWITCHED (with Nicole Kidman, based on the TV show).

Another good sign is that he continues to make cameo appearances in his buddy's movies. Look for him next year in THE WEDDING CRASHERS (with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) and the TENACIOUS D movie.