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Blades of Glory Review

Movies.com Critics

4.5

Dave White Profile

… not quite as funny as Anchorman Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 4.0
    64

    out of 100

    Metascore®
    Generally favorable reviews
    based on a weighted average of all
    critic review scores.

  • 63

    out of 100

    USA Today Claudia Puig

    Part of the problem lies in the casting imbalance: Ferrell is so much more adept at this comedy style than Heder.

    Read Full Review

  • 67

    out of 100

    Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

    Blades of Glory has funny moves even when its characters can barely move, but the film seldom gets past its one basic laugh: that a real man figure-skating is a contradiction in terms.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

    The movie is at its funniest and most original when zinging the sometimes pretentious milieu of competitive figure skating. Whatever combination of choreography, camera trickery and special effects were required to render the over-the-top, hyper-real skate numbers, they're executed with wit and ingenuity.

    Read Full Review

  • 70

    out of 100

    The New York Times Stephen Holden

    Fast, light, frequently funny comedy.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    Variety

    This Will Speck-Josh Gordon-directed farce is the triple axel of comedy.

    Read Full Review

  • 80

    out of 100

    The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

    The blissfully silly Blades of Glory is one of those rare comedies that puts a goofy smile on your face with the premise alone -- and keeps it planted there right until its wacky finale.

    Read Full Review

  • 90

    out of 100

    Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

    Blissfully silly, triumphantly tasteless and improbably hilarious.

  • See all Blades of Glory reviews at Metacritic.com

For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 13+

Spandex, stereotypes, and Will Ferrell on ice.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this Will Ferrell comedy has lots of verbal and sight jokes about sex, homosexuality, drinking, and drugs. There are goofy-but-sometimes-violent physical gags (like a decapitation that features obvious use of a mannequin and fake blood) and ads for sponsored products. Characters fight, get cut by skate blades, shoot harpoons (one hits a mascot in the head and scares screaming children), and do some painful-looking stunts on the ice (splits, falls, ice burns). Figure skating's foppish reputation is skewered repeatedly, with over-the-top spandex costumes, poofy hair, make-up, and histrionic ice dancing. It's especially evident when the two main characters team up to form a spandex-clad male-male pair who hold hands, perform lifts, and accidentally grab and kick each other's crotches. Language includes repeated uses of "sucks," "damn," "s--t," and "ass."

  • Families can talk about Will Ferrell's appeal. What makes something a "Will Ferrell comedy"? What do many of Ferrell's characters have in common? How are they different? What other kinds of characters has he played? Which do you like best? What age group do you think movies like this one are aimed at?

The good stuff
  • message true0

    Messages: Sex jokes are homoerotic and homophobic; skaters are fierce, devious, and violent rivals ... then Chazz and Jimmy learn to be nice.

What to watch for
  • violence false3

    Violence: Awards ceremony fight leaves faces bloodied; another comic fight involves punching, kicking, and body-tossing; Jimmy's slide across the ice on his chest produces a visible burn; Jimmy is handcuffed to a toilet; a rival shoots at Chazz with a harppon, accidentally hitting the mascot in the head and frightening children.

  • sex false3

    Sex: Chazz's early "sex on ice" performances include choreographed crotch grabs and pelvic thrusts; he also licks a fan's face and intimidates Jimmy with sexual bravado (mouthing "I want you," etc.); references to "classic Euro-porn" and Chazz's Adult Film award; a woman wears a sexy corset to seduce a man; lots of crotch grabs and reaction shots to indicate discomfort or arousal; discussion of lyrics in the song "My Humps; Jimmy's stalker fan makes repeated bizarre sexual/romantic comments; discussion of Chazz's conquests includes him saying that he "tapped" Michelle Kwan.

  • language false3

    Language: Repeated uses of "damn," "ass," "s--t," "bitch," and "hell" (Chazz says their new routine will go "straight up the ass" of figure skating), as well as other language ("turd," "balls," "wiener") and name-calling.

  • consumerism false3

    Consumerism: Products listed on the sides of the rink and otherwise visible include Verizon, 7/11, X-Box, Nationwide Insurance, Cup O' Noodles, Mane 'n' Tail shampoo, Foot Locker, Subway, and Fruit Loops.

  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3

    Drinking, drugs and smoking: Chazz is drunk during his performance in an ice show for kids (drinking, vomiting, slurring his words); mention of Quaaludes.

Fan Reviews provided by

1

I should have known better by gearhead
This is a funny movies...lots of laughs...unless you are a parent like me who did not read the full rating and took two 13 year old girls...had I been paying attention I would have read the "crude and sexual humor" part.

5

Non-stop Laughter by ILiVE4MOViES
I almost peed my pants when I saw this movie! It was still just as funny the second and third time too! Will Ferrell is a comic genius...hilarious. And Jon Heder gives a great performance too. You should see it if you haven't already.

4

BLADES OF GLORY!!! ha ha by makayla_is_cooler_than_U

ok so it was realllllly funny but it was also reallllly inapproprate...i definitally do not recommend this for kids...but over all it was hilarious...i never ould have thought of putting will farrell and jon heder together...but it was smart...this movie is FUNNY!!!

4

Better than expected by sethrich
I expected Blades of Glory to be fairly stupid without much maturity, and that's precisely what I got. Except I was surprisingly entertained by witty, dirty, and sometimes both witty and dirty, one-liners. You're not going to get a cinematic masterpiece here, but you will get a side of figure skating you've never seen before. Will Ferrell is once again cocky, selfish, rude, and witty. Take Ron Burgundy's personality, Ricky Bobby's intelligence (or lack thereof), lace up some skates, and you have Chazz Michael Michaels. Jon Heder (Jimmy MacElroy) doesn't take away from Ferrell's presence, and even gives a presence of his own by standing his ground and going after a young lady. Jimmy has a bit of competition with Chazz on the ice, and even though Chazz "is figure skating," he keeps his pride. The two clashing skaters form a duet and show everyone what "twin dongs" can do.

5

Hilarious! by neonbonbon
This movie was worth wasting a valuable Wednesday afternoon (when I could have been working) to go see it! It was so funny...there was something in it for everyone to enjoy, no matter what your sense of humor is like. And Will Ferrell was, of course, HILARIOUS.

5

Funny by JedDale
It is the kind of typical "dumb" humor that we can't help but laugh about.

5

Blades of Glory Review by ERIC99909
Truely the greatest film starring Will Ferrell by a long shot! I cried like a little girl twice during the movie due to uncontrollable laughter. It's incredibly ingenious, but unlike other comedies coming out, was quite tasteful and funny. Don't compare it to Tommy Boy though, Blades of Glory is a little out of its league in that match up. Put it up against Anchor Man, Will Ferrell's first impacting movie, and you got a real winner. The annoying, yet hilarious phrases Will Ferrell pulls out of his a** will help you and your friends successfully bug the crap out of the normal people in your life by continuously repeating the movie....me being the victim of that story. Pay the ten, even fiftenn dollars if you have to in order take a break from your dull life, and truely have a hour and a half laugh.

5

Depends, by _heavvven
I thought this movie was down right hilarious! It's by far one of my favorite movies of all time. Most people I know have seen it at least twice, including me. Depending on your humor however you might not find it funny. A few adults I know think it was stupid and pointless. It does have stupid, immature humor but Will Farell makes it hilarious. The theatre was roaring with laughter, even the older couples sitting infront of me couldn't stop laughing. It's best to see it in theatres. Surrounded by people laughing makes it much better.

5

Blades of Glory by 13196
so hillarious, one of Will farell's BEST!

4

go by glxy
go

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