Let’s admit: figure skating is silly – especially if it involves males posing in the ice. And a movie about male figure skating is way sillier, but it’s forgivable because it is hilarious. Two blokes skating their way to gold glory, beating other contestants and sizzling a celebrity-like buzz in sports that one could think Olympics is of another planet away, is ridiculous; and male figure skating itself is like the impeccable description of homoeroticism. BLADES OF GLORY could never have been gayer. But as i mentioned, it’s absorbingly funny. Good laughs all along the way.


Jon Heder (famous for being the dorky NAPOLEON DYNAMITE) stars as Jimmy McElroy, the shining star of male figure skating, with colourful costumes of peacocks and fancy flashes. His biggest competitor, Chazz Michael Michaels played by Will Ferrell (who have starred in films almost all about sports covered by the media i.e. ESPN), however, is the rock star of the skating rink. He glides raunchily with his cowboy demeanour and puts every single woman in arena on their knees. But the competition was a tie; and the both of them shared the golden medal, resulting to a knuckle fight that cost them their reputation and were both banned from the tournament.


Then the rest of the film carried on with its predictable formula; they both reunite, although with call-backs, insults and indictments, cat and dog attitude altogether, to compete in the pairs division (as though they never knew pairs division only involves a man and a woman skating). They set to compete with the unbeatable champs, the Van Waldenberg brother and sister (played by Will Arnett and Amy Poehler respectively, of Saturday Night Live, real-life wedded couple by the way).


It’s a comedy done right; a bit overblown but all too funny to be redemptive about it. BLADES OF GLORY rescues the whole awkwardness of its theme by its zap editing, energetic sequences and exaggerated competition skating scenes. It moves like a sport-casting edition in ESPN; showing us the backstories of the contestants in sepia tone and the lives of the characters. As for the performances, Will Ferrell, usually over the top, is laughable. Jon Heder, in his first adult role, is claiming something of a statuette in the comedy department. His comic timing is effortless.


There might be loads of crotch jokes and silly gags, but all of it was overshadowed by the hilarity of the outrageousness of the skating sequences. When we see Ferrell and Heder do their final stunt, with slow-motion amusement, we actually find ourselves hoping that they get the gold. BLADES OF GLORY is not glorious; may feel like a sketch or an extended episode of Saturday Night Live, but it will surely liven up your Saturday and cause some belly laughs.




RATING: B