Who's in It: Will Ferrell, Jon Heder, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Jenna Fischer, William Fichtner, Craig T. Nelson, Romany Malco
The Basics: If you're going to make a movie about straight male figure skaters who have to struggle against their own ideas about effeminate behavior and what exactly close physical proximity to another man really says about their true selves, then by all means, make this one.
What's the Deal? Here's why Ferrell is better than Jim Carrey at his peak: Ferrell's performances make the silly comedies he stars in "about" something. Carrey's biggest hits were about showcasing Carrey as a manic, convulsive spectacle, and he existed in a vacuum. He was funny but meaningless, and I like Carrey better in dramatic roles now, anyway. Ferrell's job, on the other hand, seems to be inflating and deflating doofus-brand masculinity. Hold Old School, Anchorman, Talladega Nights and this up against each other, and it's like an ongoing franchise of male terror.
Speaking of Stacking It Up: It's not quite as funny as Anchorman or Talladega. Talladega, especially. But saying that isn't the same as saying it's bad. I never stopped laughing. Even Heder made me laugh, and I haven't been a fan of his at all up to this point.
If You're a Real Skating Fan, You Should Know That the Following People Have Cameos: Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, Sasha Cohen and Nancy Kerrigan. Cohen, in particular, winds up stealing the few seconds she's onscreen.
Favorite Parts: The scene where the unlikely pair finally wins over the crowd at the rink seems almost metaphorical in its same-sexed-ness. And then there's Poehler as the evil competition. She clobbers every scene she's in — sometimes with just a facial expression. She's the MVP of this whole movie. Oh, and stay for the closing credits where Bo Bice, of all people, croaks out the title song.