Eurovision Review

Director David Dobkin's new film Eurovision, a Netflix comedy that attempts to poke fun at the European music competition of the same name, offers nothing of value or entertainment. Despite a two hour runtime, Eurovision accomplishes a negligible amount of scenes that could be deemed entertaining. The predictable story that Will Ferrell has written feels utterly devoid of humour and intrigue, producing tired jokes that often come off as nothing more than noise. Ferrell's performance is irritating and often so embarrassing that even Rachel McAdams' more charming approach cannot save whenever he's on-screen. The combination of infantile writing and galling music makes Eurovision a difficult endeavour. Ferrell attempts to make his latest film feel like a whimsical concert, but everything comes off more like a funeral.

Eurovision tells the story of aspiring musicians Lars and Sigrit as they are given the opportunity of a lifetime to represent their country at the world's biggest song competition. However, the two find that their journey will test more than their musical capabilities, as they must strengthen their bond and prove that their dreams are worth competing for.

The passable elements that Eurovision manages to achieve consistently are minimal. The Icelandic setting that much of the film takes place creates wonderful backdrops for the movies woefully written script. Much of the set and costume design of Eurovision is also admirable and helps make many of the musical sequences easy on the eyes despite the score often being hard on the ears.

The main culprit behind the film's despicable outcome is undoubtedly Will Ferrell. The once comic giant has proven with Eurovision that his humour and range has diminished dramatically in the last decade. The self-absorbed decision to put himself in the lead role does the film zero favours, as Ferrell is noticeably too out of reach with his character to make it funny on even a sarcastic level. Much of his dialogue if often brainless exposition that divulges quickly into childish yelling and swearing, causing many scenes to drag on to the point of losing the punchline of the attempted joke altogether.

Overall, Eurovision is an unfunny and bloated mess that offers nothing of significance. Will Ferrell and David Dobkin have crafted a musical comedy that manages to achieve zero memorable moments of melody or humour. The outcome is a witless and dumbfoundingly unoriginal movie that's as forgettable as it is annoying.

The predictable narrative, complete lack of comedy, and the irritating performance from Will Ferrell leave very little reason to watch Eurovision.

Produced By: Netflix
Runtime: 120 minutes
Rating: PG