Many will probably dislike Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga for being a more subdued Will Ferrell comedy when compared to the rest of his IMDb page, but that’s why I actually liked it more than most of his films.

Basic Synopsis: Two friends (who probably aren’t siblings) aspire to represent Iceland and compete in the Eurovision Song Contest.

First Things First: I thought the Eurovision Song Contest was a competition made up for this movie. How have I never heard of it before!?

Brief Thoughts: Seeing as my favorite live action Will Ferrell film is Stranger Than Fiction, it shouldn’t shock anyone to learn that I’m usually on the outside looking in when it comes to most of his larger films – the first Anchorman being the one exception – with their obnoxious characters and performative, outlandish comedy. Which is probably why I mostly enjoyed Eurovision Song Contest, or what I like to think of as the calmer cousin of his typical films. It still has plenty of big, ridiculous moments, but the disparity between these unexpected jolts to the humor that were structured more within the interpersonal dynamics is what really allowed the grand comedy to inspire bigger laughs. Ferrell and Rachel McAdams are charming as the lead duo working their way through a very predictable competition progression, and these two together, Dan Stevens shining in a way I never knew I needed until now, and some pretty catchy tunes make the film worth seeing, even if it does lull into bemusement territory (as opposed to amusement) for a bit in the middle.

Quick Questions:

• Any other The Last of Us Part 2 players really digging Pierce Brosnan’s Old Man Joel vibe? Honestly this is the best he’s ever looked.
• Will there ever be a time in the future when “Jaja Ding Dong” is no longer stuck in my head?

Favorite Lines: A lot of my favorite lines come from their context (“Do a classic camel,” “The elves went too far!” and “Let’s just go sex nuts!” to list a few), but there was one that spoke to me most as it fully encapsulated my feelings toward dancing: “Do you have a sickness in your legs? Are your feet very sad?”

Biggest Complaint: I’d be lying if I said I didn’t spend the entire film crossing my fingers tightly, hoping with all my might that Kristen Wiig would reprise one of my favorite SNL impersonations as Iceland’s very own Björk. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. But as disappointed and shocked as I was at the lack of big name cameos, I can fully appreciate the choice to keep the cameos to real contestants from previous seasons of the show now that I know Eurovision Song Contest is a real thing. Based on the “Song-A-Long” midway through the film, these champions are definitely worth looking up.

Final Thoughts: Though I can understand why Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga is getting mediocre reviews, I still think it’s worth watching if you have yet to see it. Hearing Molly Sandén (McAdams’ singing voice) belt is reason enough all on its own.

So what’d you think of Netflix’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga? Be sure to let me know in the comments below or over on twitter, where you can find me at BewareOfTrees.