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List Price: $19.99 | | Label: Dreamworks Video
Salesrank: 4764
Released: August 28, 2007 |
| Our Price: $6.70 |
| Used Price: $0.69 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Blades of Glory is pure hilarity a gold medal comedy winner staring comic superstar Will Ferrell (Talladega Nights) and John Heder (Napoleon Dynamite). Bitter figure skating rivals Chazz Michael Michaels (Ferrell) and Jimmy MacElroy (Heder) brawl after tying for the gold medal at the world championships. Banned for life from men s competition these archrivals beat the system thanks to a loophole that allows them skate again in pars; competition! Co-starring Crag T. Nelson Will Arnett Amy Poehler and Jenna Fischer.System Requirements:Running Time: 93 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 097361310640 Manufacturer No: 131064
Description of Blades of Glory (Widescreen Edition):
Take two male figure skaters, throw in a preposterous storyline, and you've got Blades of Glory, a surprisingly funny film that almost makes you forgive Will Ferrell for his back-to-back 2005 clunkers Kicking & Screaming and Bewitched. This time around, Ferrell eats the scenery in his role as a sex-addicted, cocky skating champ named Chazz Michael Michaels. When he gets into an on-podium fight with his nemesis and co-gold medallist Jimmy MacElroy (Jon Heder, Napoleon Dynamite), both skaters are banned from competing in men's figure-skating events. Forever. Their fall from grace is brutal. Chazz is forced to work for a D-list skating show, while pampered Jimmy is disowned by his wealthy and cold-hearted adoptive father (excellently played by William Fichtner), who only wants to be around winners. When Jimmy points out that he tied for gold, his dad cruelly says, "If I wanted to share, I would've bought you a brother." Flash forward 3-1/2 years and Jimmy's No. 1 stalker Hector (Nick Swardson) says he's found a loophole. Jimmy's been banned from men's singles events, but there's nothing that says he can't compete in pairs skating. After a chance meeting with Chazz, mayhem ensues as the two rivals team up to go against the brother-and-sister team of Stranz and Fairchild Van Waldenberg (played by Will Arnett and his real-life wife, Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live and Mean Girls fame). The Van Waldenbergs will stop at nothing to beat the competition, even if that means literally beating up the competition. They have no qualms manipulating their sweet little sister (Jenna Fischer, The Office) to seduce both men to try to break up the team.
The finale will be no surprise to moviegoers who know that comedies like this aren't set up to make its leading men losers. But there is one brief skating sequence set in North Korea that will surprise (and shock) many viewers because of its brutality. Ferrell and Heder make a great comedy team. Though he has been accused of playing the same role since his breakthrough performance in Napoleon Dynamite and, to a certain extent, plays a similar type of role here, Heder is spot-on as Jimmy. He manages to convey innocence, bitterness, and longing--all within the span of a few seconds and while wearing a peacock unitard (You can understand why Hector is so enthralled with him). Look for guest appearances by real-life skating champs Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Nancy Kerrigan, and Sasha Cohen, who gets to sniff Chazz's jockstrap. --Jae-Ha Kim
Beyond Blades of Glory
 More "Blades" on DVD |  More DVDs with Will Ferrell |  The Soundtrack |
Stills from Blades of Glory (click for larger image) Blades of Glory (Widescreen Edition) Reviews:
Weird, bizarre and FUNNY 
2008-10-03 - 'Blades of Glory' is not the most significant film of all time but it is definitely hilarious. The plot is bizarre and oddball beyond imagination and, as something genuinely different, deserves a high rating. Two enemies, who are figure-skaters with diametrically opposed styles are thrown out of skating because of a stupid fight during an awards ceremony. Both are forced into demeaning jobs but find that there is a loophole in the regulations. They can still compete but must compete as dancing doubles.
Reluctantly and with huge antagonism they decide on it. They do well but must compete against an unscruplous, brother-sister doubles team that will do anything to win. They encourage their younger sister to seduce the younger member of the competitive team and then betray him with his partner [who happens to be an uncontrollable sex maniac]. It almost happens which drives a huge wedge between the partners.
To hedge their bets the brother-sister team attempts to handcuff their opponents until the Montreal competition is over. Both men escape, however, to finish their routine with the incredible and lethal 'iron lotus'. They win; the brother-sister team is arrested; and boy gets girl.
One of many funny scenes is the brother-sister competing as JFK and Marilyn Monroe. Hilarious.
Ron Braithwaite
A Perfect Comedy!!! 
2008-09-09 - Will Ferrell and Jon Heder are awesome together! This is an extremely funny movie! Jimmy MacElroy and Chazz Michael Michaels are skaters who tie for the gold. When they soon fight in front of everyone watching, they are banned for life from men's singles competition. Three years pass, and Jimmy's gay stalker finds a loophole; he can skate in couple's skating. Jimmy's old coach has an idea for Jimmy and Chazz to work together and become the first males couple's skating. Jimmy and Chazz finally work together and become friends to beat the brother-sister team of Stranz and Fairchild van Waldenberg. Jimmy falls in love with their sister Katie. Stranz and Fairchild try to stop Jimmy and Chazz from winning the gold. If you love comedy, and Will Ferrell, and John Heder, you'll love BLADES OF GLORY!!!
Forgettable Comedy 
2008-07-24 - You can't expect too much out of anything with Will Ferrell. But if you don't expect much, you might not be let down and may be pleasantly amused. This was the case in Blades of Glory. Jon Heder and Will Ferrell are a very good comedic team, and Will Arnett and Jenna Fischer also have great supporting roles. I would definitely not plan a weekend around watching this movie, but if you have some time to kill, it is a pleasant waste of time.
A few words of warning - it is a bit crude in parts, as you would expect from a Will Ferrell movie, so is not recommended for particular viewers. Also, fans of ice skating may also be offended for the portrayal of their sport in the movie. However, several skating big wigs do come in for cameos, so that might be fun for some. Lastly, if you think the premise of the movie might be a thin disguise for promotion of a homosexual agenda, you might be right, but it is a very minor part of the movie and the references are few and/or not overt.
Packaged poorly 
2008-07-17 - The sender mailed my DVD without its orginal DVD case. It was taped to a piece of cardboard. I haven't watched the movie yet, but wouldn't doubt that its scratched.
Glorious Blades... those! 
2008-07-07 - "Blades of Glory" truly brings out the charisma and brilliance of the sport of figure skating. Will Ferrell and Jon Heder as (Chazz Michael Michaels and Jimmy MacElroy respectively) have done a fantastic job at bringing this sport into people's attention.
It's not everyday that an unorthodox gamble gets made so well in a movie, but "Blades of Glory" is able to pull it off, and quite full of typical Farrell gags, from time to time.
Chazz and Jimmy are long-time rivals, who share the Gold Medal for figure skating, only to create an embarrassing scene at the medal ceremony and stripped of the Gold as a result of that, and banned from the sport for life. They lose all that they've striven to achieve and are left abandoned in their miserly existence, until one fine day fate brings them together.
Through a loophole in the regulations, they realize that they've been banned from their own division (of Men's Singles Skating). They can very well compete in the Couples event. What better partner for each than the other - they figure!
What follows is not quite as brilliant as some of other sport movies you might've seen. But you've got to remember - this is a Will Ferrell movie, and that means something. Look out for those gags, some of which clearly seem to be out of context in the story, but will surely make you laugh; even if you wonder a moment later what's happening to the central plot of the movie.
Never mind all those questions. This is a movie made to amuse and enjoy. In fact, a little more than Semi Pro was able to do. Not one of the Ferrell's best works, but certainly watchable.
Performance-wise, Ferrell does a good job. I discovered a good artist out of this - Jon Heder.
Overall Score: 4 / 5