The Campaign 2012

The Campaign

Critics Consensus

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.

66%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 206

51%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 123,147

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The Campaign Photos

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

The Campaign (2012)

(L-R) Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins, Dylan McDermott as Tim Wattley and Sarah Baker as Mitzi Huggins in "The Campaign."

Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Sarah Baker as Mitzi Huggins, Kya Haywood as Dylan Huggins, Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins and Grant Goodman as Clay Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Dan Aykroyd as Wade Motch, John Lithgow as Glenn Motch, Brian Cox as Raymond Huggins and Josh Lawson as Tripp in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins, Jason Sudeikis as Mitch Moore, Dylan McDermott as Tim Wattley and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

Zach Galifianakis (center) as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

Will Ferrell as Cam Brady and Katherine LaNada as Rose Brady in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Will Ferrell as Cam Brady and Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Dylan McDermott as Tim Wattley and Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) John Lithgow as Glenn Motch and Dan Aykroyd as Wade Motch in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Katherine LaNasa as Rose Brady, Madison Wolfe as Jessica Brady and Randall Cunningham as Cam Jr. in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Will Ferrell as Cam Brady, Katherine LaNasa as Rose Brady, Madison Wolfe as Jessica Brady and Randall Cunningham as Cam Jr. in "The Campaign."

Jason Sudeikis as Mitch in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Kya Haywood as Dylan Huggins, Grant Goodman as Clay Huggins, Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins and Sarah Baker as Mitzi Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Will Ferrell as Cam Brady and Jason Sudeikis as Mitch in "The Campaign."

Karen Maruyama as Mrs. Yao and Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Jason Sudeikis as Mitch and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Will Ferrell as Cam Brady and Jason Sudeikis as Mitch in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Jason Sudeikis as Mitch and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Will Ferrell as Cam Brady and Jason Sudeikis as Mitch in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins, Jason Sudeikis as Mitch, Dylan McDermott as Tim Wattley and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Zach Galifianakis as Marty Huggins and Dylan McDermott as Tim Wattley in "The Campaign."

(L-R) Jason Sudeikis as Mitch and Will Ferrell as Cam Brady in "The Campaign."

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Movie Info

When incumbent Congressman Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) commits a major gaffe, two wealthy CEOs decide to try to gain influence in their district by putting up a rival candidate. Their unlikely choice is a naive tourism director named Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis). Aided by his family's political connections and a cutthroat campaign manager, Marty soon becomes locked in a dead heat with Cam. As Election Day approaches, each man slings mud galore in a last-ditch effort to bury the other.

Rating:

R (Crude Sexual Content|Brief Nudity|Language)
Genre:

comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

Jay Roach
Producer:

Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, Jay Roach, Zach Galifianakis
Writer:

Chris Henchy, Shawn Harwell
Release Date (Theaters):

Aug 10, 2012 wide
Release Date (Streaming):

Dec 11, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA):

$86.9M
Runtime:

1h 25m
Production Co:

Gary Sanchez Productions, Everyman Pictures
Sound Mix:

Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital

Cast & Crew

Will Ferrell
Cam Brady

Zach Galifianakis
Marty Huggins

Jason Sudeikis
Mitch

Dylan McDermott
Tim Wattley

Katherine LaNasa
Rose Brady

John Lithgow
Glenn Motch

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for The Campaign

Weekly Binge: Veep

RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: The Campaign and Alfred Hitchcock

Critics Consensus: The Bourne Legacy Is A Solid Sequel

Critic Reviews for The Campaign

All Critics (206) | Top Critics (47) | Fresh (136) | Rotten (70)

Quote not available.

January 22, 2013 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Cath Clarke
Time Out
Top Critic
Perhaps one in ten of the jokes hits the mark; the rest are damp, childish squibs

September 28, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Kate Muir
Times (UK)
Top Critic
There are some laughs, it doesn't overstay its welcome and neither side in the present fight for the presidency is likely to be offended.

September 28, 2012 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Derek Malcolm
London Evening Standard
Top Critic
If you're solemnly looking for contemporary political observation, this isn't the film for you. But laughs come rolling off the production line a-plenty.

September 27, 2012 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
Top Critic
Who says political satire is dead? Most of the audience for The Campaign will say it.

September 27, 2012 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review…

Nigel Andrews
Financial Times
Top Critic
All sounds a bit dj vu. Didn't they make this in the late-'90s with Chris Farley and David Spade?

September 27, 2012 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Adam Lee Davies
Little White Lies
Top Critic
For a basic political comedy, The Campaign is funny.

October 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Leigh Paatsch
Herald Sun (Australia)
The Campaign doesn't work all the time, but when it does it's truly inspired comedy from two stand-out inspired comics.

September 4, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4.0 | Full Review…

Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
There are enough gems in this political satire to raise more than a hearty chuckle.

November 26, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Katie Smith-Wong
Flick Feast
While many audience members may be suffering from political fatigue this election year, The Campaign exposes the process for the circus it truly is.

June 8, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Matthew Lucas
The Dispatch (Lexington, NC)
This rapid-fire comedy has plenty more hits than misses - and at times a scathing satire of the current election process.

April 11, 2019 | Full Review…

Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
These situations write themselves really, already amusing in real-life, let alone cinematically... It's harmless and undemanding fun.

February 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Stefan Pape
CineVue

View All Critic Reviews (206)

Audience Reviews for The Campaign

Mar 10, 2017

A few funny moments, but in light of all the Trump stuff, pretty accurate viewing, even though it was made prior to all this and I am just late watching it. Below average comedy.

Nicki M Super Reviewer
Feb 28, 2014

A real riot. This movie gets my vote. A raunchy, wild and hilarious comedy. Zach Galifianakis and Will Ferrell are comedy gold together. A super funny satire that packs plenty of laughs and a great cast. Dylan McDermott and Jason Sudeikis are terrific. A really funny good time. Over the top fun from start to finish.

Al S Super Reviewer
Jan 20, 2014

Bland, boring, and generally unfunny with it's excess use of sex-related humor.

Max G Super Reviewer
Jan 04, 2014

"The Campaign" starts with Cam Brady(Will Ferrell) well on his way to winning a fifth election to congress in North Carolina, running unopposed this time. That is until the Phone Call. That makes the Motch Brothers(Dan Aykroyd & John Lithgow) so nervous that they recruit Marty Huggins(Zach Galifianakis) through his super wealthy father(Brian Cox, in an excellent turn). Even after that, Tim Wattley(Dylan McDermott, in danger of being typecast as scary and/or threatening) decides an image makeover is needed for Marty, starting for his dogs being swapped out and his wife Mitzi(Sarah Baker) getting a new haircut. Like most Hollywood movies, "The Campaign" has lots of things that are old and borrowed in its mostly on target political satire, exaggerated as it may be at times, but not the part about there being little difference between Democrats and Republicans.(Plus, you'll never see Drew Carey quite the same way ever again.) Even its central message that style trumps substance in political contests is almost pure Frank Capra, albeit with sex tapes thrown in here. But there is also plenty new to consider like the barely veiled attacks on the Koch Brothers and outsourcing which also hit the mark. That's not to mention the fine work of the leads, with Will Ferrell again displaying his expertise at playing nincompoops while Zach Galifianakis fares well playing a less devolved, more sweet character this time around.

Walter M Super Reviewer

See all Audience reviews

The Campaign Quotes

Mitch:	What's it all about?
Cam Brady:	America, Jesus, freedom.

Marty Huggins:

Bring your brooms because it's a mess.

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.

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.

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