Reel Talk: What happened to Will Ferrell?
Craig Shoup and Craig Shoup, The News-Messenger Craig Shoup
Reel Talk: Will Ferrell has slipped from bankable comedy star to a box office bomb.
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The News-Messenger
Will Ferrell was one of the few bankable movie stars in the comedy genre, but lately his popularity has been decreasing and one movie after another tanks at the box office.

In 2017 Ferrell had two movies ready to capitalize during popular box office numbers, first “The House,” a June 30 release that flopped at the theater — and deservedly so. It simply was a terrible movie.

Over the holidays, Ferrell teamed up with Mark Wahlberg for “Daddy’s Home 2,” yet another movie that just didn’t work for me even though it earned about $180 million worldwide, a good take for a movie with a $69 million budget.

But where are Ferrell's box office hits that are actually good movies?

My biggest question is why has it been almost a decade since Ferrell made a movie that was not only successful, but also funny?

I get it that everyone has different tastes in comedy, but there was a time when it seemed like Ferrell could do no wrong.

From "Old School" to "Anchorman" to "Blades of Glory," Ferrell cornered the comedy market in movies, and seemed to be the actor all comedy directors salivated over.

In 2010, Ferrell made my favorite one of his films, “The Other Guys.”

It was the R-rated action buddy comedy that teamed him with Wahlberg that was equal parts funny buddy cop movie and action satire.

It was fun entertainment that featured dozens of quotable lines and memorable scenes.

For some viewers, they may have forgotten or glossed over “The Other Guys,” but I say to you, give it another look because it is Ferrell’s best overall movie.

Ferrell was on a pretty solid streak for much of the early to mid-2000s, with only a few misfires like "Land of the Lost," "Bewitched" and "Semi-Pro."

But lately Ferrell has reached new lows in his comedy career.

I recently saw “The House” on HBO, and could not believe the level of talented comedians working in such a mean-spirited piece of movie garbage.

I have a hard time imagining a couple of well-adjusted parents getting involved in high stakes gambling and the violence that comes with it — not to mention their utter disregard for any consequences of their actions. This is a piece of work &mldr; or rather a piece of something else.

Ferrell is a talented comedian, featuring great timing and ad-lib skills few comic actors possess.

Even when a movie misfires, like "Step Brothers," at least it had some funny moments or redeemable qualities.

But now when a Ferrell movie misses the mark, it really misses.

I think he understands how to push boundaries without overstepping them, a hard thing to do in comedy, but lately, he either oversteps those boundaries, as in “The House,” or completely misfires in his comedy, as in the "Daddy’s Home" series.

Looking ahead, Ferrell has two movies slated for release this year.

Without a release date, Ferrell will star in "Zeroville," a movie directed by James Franco about a young actor arriving in Hollywood in 1969.

The second movie, and the one I am most looking forward to, is "Holmes and Watson," which reunites Ferrell with "Talladega Nights" co-star John C. Reilly.

The movie is a comedic take on Sherlock Holmes, played by Ferrell, and his trusty sidekick, Watson, played by Reilly.

My hopes are tempered with this film because Etan Cohen is directing.

No not Ethan, as in Joel and Ethan Coen, directors of such hits as “No Country for Old Men” and "Fargo."

This is the Etan Cohen who directed another Ferrell bomb, "Get Hard."

Perhaps Ferrell could resurrect his career if he pairs up again with director Adam McKay, who led Ferrell and his comedy teams in such movies as "Anchorman," "Talladega Nights" and "The Other Guys."

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely as McKay continues to grow his career beyond slapstick comedy, having been nominated for the Oscar for best director for “The Big Short.”

McKay hasn’t teamed with Ferrell since "Anchorman 2" in 2013, and he only directed that movie as a way to get the funding to make “The Big Short.”

Later this year McKay takes his satirical brand of comedy into more politics as he releases “Backseat,” a biopic about former Vice President Dick Cheney with no Ferrell to be found in the cast list.

Even Ferrell could not nab the role of George W. Bush — that role went to Oscar-nominated actor Sam Rockwell.

Ferrell would be wise to start looking for a new director with the talent to harness his talents.

cshoup@gannett.com

419-334-1035

Twitter: @CraigShoupNH