Eurovision Song Constest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)

Director: David Dobkin

Stars: Will Ferrell, Rachel McAdams, Pierce Brosnan
Runtime: 123 minutes

Synopsis: When aspiring musicians Lars and Sigrit are given the opportunity to represent their country at the world's biggest song competition, they finally have a chance to prove that any dream worth having is a dream worth fighting for.

Performances: 6/10
Screenplay: 4/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 5/10
Score/Soundtrack: 6/10
Entertainment Factor: 4/10

Verdict: To be honest, I'm not a big fan of Will Ferrell's approach to comedy. It always feels recycled and predictable, without any real depth or subtlety to them. And while "Eurovision" (I'm not going to bother with the full title) is not exactly his worst work, it pretty much serves as exactly what you'd expect from yet another comedy of his.

The movie tells the story of two musicians with big dreams. Lars and Sigrit have always been the laughing stock of their hometown in Iceland but are given a once in a lifetime chance to prove everyone wrong by representing their country at the Eurovision competition.

From a narrative perspective, it pretty much checks every box of a safe, predictable underdog story in which the protagonists defy all odds to prove their worth to their surroundings. It even includes an unnecessary romantic subplot that doesn't fit within the story at all and jokes that honestly felt about 20 years old. But even before putting on the movie, I knew what I had signed up for and therefore cannot entirely blame the film for it. It's exactly what any person who watched a Will Ferrell movie in their life would expect it to be, so fans of his will probably enjoy it more than I did. The big question mark I had was in regards to the original soundtrack which could've potentially injected the film with something fresh. But aside from a couple of songs and a gorgeous singing voice provided by Molly Sanden to Rachel McAdams' character, I was let down by songs that walked the line between parody and serious without ever committing to one side.

"Eurovision" simply wasn't my cup of tea, but I knew that before even pressing the play button. Fans of Will Ferrell will likely enjoy it more than I did as it follows the same blueprint of nearly every entry in the actor's filmography. The soundtrack to me was a letdown, but even in that category, I can see some people finding the songs to be at the very least catchy.

FINAL GRADE: 4/10