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The Campaign Play Trailer

The Campaign (2012)

tomatometer

65

Average Rating: 5.9/10
Reviews Counted: 193
Fresh: 125 | Rotten: 68

Its crude brand of political satire isn't quite as smart or sharp as one might hope in an election year, but The Campaign manages to generate a sufficient number of laughs thanks to its well-matched leads.

59

Average Rating: 6/10
Critic Reviews: 39
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 16

Its crude brand of political satire isn't quite as smart or sharp as one might hope in an election year, but The Campaign manages to generate a sufficient number of laughs thanks to its well-matched leads.

audience

52

liked it
Average Rating: 3.3/5
User Ratings: 101,510

My Rating

Movie Info

When long-term congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) commits a major public gaffe before an upcoming election, a pair of ultra-wealthy CEOs plot to put up a rival candidate and gain influence over their North Carolina district. Their man: naïve Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), director of the local Tourism Center. At first, Marty appears to be the unlikeliest possible choice but, with the help of his new benefactors' support, a cutthroat campaign manager and his family's political connections,

R,

Comedy

Oct 30, 2012

$86.9M

Warner Bros. Pictures - Official Site External Icon

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The Campaign Trailer & Photos

Critic Reviews for The Campaign

All Critics (203) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (127) | Rotten (69) | DVD (8)

Despite the obviousness of its political points, the film has a scattershot, breezy appeal.

August 20, 2012 Full Review Source: New Yorker
Bruce Diones
New Yorker
Top Critic IconTop Critic

What these dog days of political campaigning needs is a good, sharp political satire. Alas, The Campaign is not that movie -- not even close.

August 16, 2012 Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | Comments (4)
Peter Rainer
Christian Science Monitor
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Simply taken as a broad character comedy, "The Campaign" definitely has its moments.

August 13, 2012 Full Review Source: Salon.com
Andrew O'Hehir
Salon.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

It's way over the top, but then again, so are most modern political campaigns. Lots of funny s--- here.

August 10, 2012 Full Review Source: Richard Roeper.com | Comments (22)
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper.com
Top Critic IconTop Critic

[A] very raunchy and sometimes pretty funny comedy - which isn't above going for dumb jokes, but is also smart enough to play to its two stars' strengths.

August 10, 2012 Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic IconTop Critic

This movie is single-handedly causing a major rise in our mirth deficit. It's so bad, I'm declaring a laugh emergency.

August 10, 2012 Full Review Source: New York Post | Comments (31)
Kyle Smith
New York Post
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The problem with situation comedy movies in general - and Will Ferrell vehicles such as The Campaign in particular - is that they usually fizzle out after the first 30 minutes.

April 21, 2013 Full Review Source: Las Vegas CityLife
Matt Kelemen
Las Vegas CityLife Source: Las Vegas CityLife

But for all its silliness, THE CAMPAIGN fixes what's broken in American politics with easy laughs and sharp truths.

April 3, 2013 Full Review Source: Badass Digest
Meredith Borders
Badass Digest Source: Badass Digest

Funny and entertaining, it's not a heavyweight contender, but who wants a heavyweight contender every time?

March 4, 2013 Full Review Source: Film4
Catherine Bray
Film4

Poking fun at the nastiness of elections, The Campaign finally brings together two of Hollywood's funniest comedians.

March 4, 2013 Full Review Source: Concrete Playground
Tom Glasson
Concrete Playground
View all critic reviews (203)

Audience Reviews for The Campaign

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[img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon13.gif[/img]
May 18, 2012
Directors Cat
Directors Cat

Super Reviewer

Well, what did I expect? Will Ferrel has made a career out of a certain brand of low brow comedy, and he certainly isn't stretching here. Yes, there are a few pearls amongst the swine, but you'd expect that in using the scatter gun brand of comedy (throw a hundred jokes at the wall and see what sticks - or stinks as the case may be). Case in point; when bumpkin political nominee Zach Galifianikis asks his family for honesty, many a joke follows, with a couple of stinkers and only one nice one - it's such an obvious set up and chance for the writers to riff and show off their chops. Take this scene as a whole and you may mildly smile, which is my overall assessment of the film.

It is also easy to say that Zach isn't really stretching in this film either - so you end up with two antagonists who are exactly who you'd expect them to be, a plus I guess, if you were looking for exactly that. But for me, I expected more - perhaps a wicked commentary of our seriously broken political system... but there is nothing here that isn't over the top obvious - even the billionaire brothers trying to buy the campaign... hmmm, perhaps a send up of the Koch brothers - but to call them the Moch brothers... well, hopefully you see my point. Further, the talents of Dan Ackroyd and John Lithgow are wasted as the two brothers. They are given very little to do or say, even though their greed first and only philosophy should have been ripe for lampooning.

Brian Cox is similarly wasted as Zach's father, an old time political war horse in the pocket of the Moch bros. Seriously, the only characters who are truly humorous are that of Cox's maid (a Chinese woman paid extra to talk like a plantation mammy), and Dylan McDermott as a slick (and slightly sinister) campaign "fixer".

The film has decent pacing and a few chuckles, but, for me at least, will be forgotten tomorrow.
April 29, 2013
maxthesax
paul sandberg

Super Reviewer

The Campaign Quotes

View All
    1. Marty Huggins: Dad, if you're still holdin' a grudge because I wore crocs to Mom's funeral, like I've told a thousand times, I'm sorry. Mom would have wanted it that way. She was casual.
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)
    1. Cam Brady: You know the difference between your Mom and washin' machine? When I dump a load in the washin' machine it doesn't follow me around for three weeks.
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)
    1. Marty Huggins: I'm gonna roll up my sleeves, put my sandwich in my lunch pail, and grab my broom. Cause it's a mess.
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)
    1. Marty Huggins: Hey, Travis, you tired this mornin'?
    2. Travis: Nope just high.
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)
    1. Cam Brady: Did anyone ask me how my fist felt after punchin' the iron like jaw of that baby?
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)
    1. Banker: Are you playin' footsie with me under the table, Mrs. Brady?
    – Submitted by Alyssa B (7 days ago)

Discussion Forum

View All
Topic Last Post Replies
Kyle smith 3 months ago 0
Will Ferell and Zach Galifianakis The Campaign 6 months ago 0
Love Will Ferell 6 months ago 0
Will Vs Zach! 6 months ago 0

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Foreign Titles

  • Die Qual der Wahl (DE)
  • The Campaign (UK)
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