Campaign

Theatrical Release Date: 2012 08 10 (USA)

UPC: 883929240739

Studio: Warner Home Video

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Brief Nudity, Adult Humor, Profanity, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Two powerful CEOs pit a blundering congressman against an unlikely political newcomer in order to seize control of a crucial North Carolina district in this satirical political comedy starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis. On the eve of an upcoming election, incumbent congressman Cam Brady (Ferrell) makes a misstep that threatens to end his career in politics. Recognizing the opportunity to gain influence in the aftermath of the public gaffe, a pair of scheming CEOs handpick credulous tourism-center director Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) as Brady's political rival, quickly shaping him into a viable candidate with the help of a seasoned campaign manager. As Election Day draws near, Brady and Huggins cast ethics aside to engage in the brand of hysterical mud-slinging that's sent contemporary politics straight down the toilet. Jason Sudeikis, John Lithgow, and Brian Cox co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Features: Extended cut: see the race that was too raunchy for theaters
Special features on Blu-ray:
Line-o-rama
Deleted scenes
Gag reel

Campaign

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 10/30/2012

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DHMA null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 96 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English,French,Spanish

Subtitles: English,French,Spanish

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Disc #1 -- The Campaign
1. Scene 1 [10:16]
2. Scene 2 [9:51]
3. Scene 3 [11:54]
4. Scene 4 [9:42]
5. Scene 5 [9:54]
6. Scene 6 [9:47]
7. Scene 7 [11:20]
8. Scene 8 [8:00]
9. Scene 9 [4:35]

Jason Buchanan

Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis hold a funhouse mirror up to the American electoral process in The Campaign, a demented political farce that delivers some hearty laughs as the titular race heats up, but sadly loses steam as Election Day draws near. Regardless, it's still fun enough to earn a vote from forgiving comedy fans, because even when it starts to falter, its irreverent evisceration of a deeply flawed system is enough to keep a candidate's smile plastered firmly on our faces. On the eve of an upcoming election, incumbent congressman Cam Brady (Ferrell) makes a misstep that threatens to end his career in politics. Recognizing the opportunity to gain influence in the aftermath of the public gaffe, wealthy CEOs Glenn (John Lithgow) and Wade Motch (Dan Aykroyd) handpick credulous small-town tourism-center director Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) as Brady's new rival, and they quickly shape the socially awkward misfit into a viable candidate with the help of serpentine campaign manager Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott). Both determined to win the election at any cost, Brady and Huggins cast ethics aside to engage in the sort of hysterical mudslinging that's sent contemporary politics straight down the toilet. Front-loaded with outrageous gags as Ferrell's Brady gets himself into a bind and Galifianakis' Huggins gets a crash course in political one-upmanship, The Campaign works best when it's delivering a series of increasingly absurd set pieces that satirize the desperate lengths political hopefuls will go to in order to get votes. With each scene more outrageous than the last, and the two capable stars openly embracing their broad caricatures, writers Chris Henchy (The Other Guys) and Shawn Harwell (Eastbound and Down) pull out all the stops to reveal just how little the whole election process has to do with the actual beliefs of the men who seek office. Still, the focus here is on laughs -- not political deconstruction -- and the relentless blend of sight gags (including an early nip slip that uses partial nudity to expert comic effect), awkward timing, and classic satire (Ferrell does for the Lord's Prayer here what Leslie Nielsen did for the National Anthem in The Naked Gun) gives hope early on that The Campaign will soar to the delirious heights of its rich comic pedigree. But about an hour into the film, as a public debate between Brady and Huggins devolves into a massive brawl, the movie crescendos. And though it doesn't necessarily flatline afterward, The Campaign never quite achieves that level of sustained comic energy again. Yet even when The Campaign is inconsistent, its blithely cynical observations about the roles of personality and big money in elections still hit the bull's-eye more often than not, and since partisan politics play virtually no role in the proceedings, party affiliations aren't likely to stifle anyone's enjoyment of the film in an election year that promises to be as divisive (if not more so) than any that's come before it. So as civil political discourse has seemingly become a quaint relic of the 20th century, there's certainly something to be said for the role comedy plays in uniting us through laughter. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Jon Poll  Executive Producer 
Amy Sayres  Executive Producer 
Will Ferrell  Producer 
Jay Roach  Director 
Jay Roach  Producer 
Theodore Shapiro  Composer (Music Score) 
Zach Galifianakis  Producer 
Chris Henchy  Executive Producer 
Chris Henchy  Screenwriter 
Adam McKay  Producer 
Shawn Harwell  Screenwriter 
Will Ferrell  Actor 
Zach Galifianakis  Actor 
Jason Sudeikis  Actor 
Dylan McDermott  Actor 
Katherine La Nasa  Actor 
Sarah Baker  Actor 
John Lithgow  Actor 
Dan Aykroyd  Actor 
Brian Cox  Actor 
Karen Maruyama  Actor 
Grant S. Goodman  Actor 
Kya Haywood  Actor 
Randall Cunningham  Actor 
Madison Wolfe  Actor 
Thomas Middleditch  Actor 
Josh Lawson  Actor 
Heather Lawless  Actor 
Jack McBrayer  Actor 
Elizabeth Berkes  Actor 
Billy Slaughter  Actor 
Aaron Jay Rome  Actor 
Kate Lang Johnson  Actor 
Amelia Jackson-Gray  Actor 
Bobby Tisdale  Actor 
Joe Scarborough  Actor 
Ed Schultz  Actor 
P.J. Byrne  Actor 
Patrick Weathers  Actor 
Gerry May  Actor 
Tzi Ma  Actor 
Bill Martin Williams  Actor 
Danny Vinson  Actor 
John Reaves  Actor 
Scott A. Martin  Actor 
Rob Mariano  Actor 
Randy Bachman  Actor 
Mick Dalla-Vee  Actor 
Marc La France  Actor 
Brent Howard Knudsen  Actor 
Charles Frederick Turner  Actor 
Danny Hanemann  Actor 
Jason Kirkpatrick  Actor 
Taryn Terrell  Actor 
J.D. Evermore  Actor 
Matt Borel  Actor 
Millard Darden  Actor 
Mikki Val  Actor 
Ramona Tyler  Actor 
Steve Wilkins  Actor 
Rowan Joseph  Actor 
Dane Rhodes  Actor 
Trey Burvant  Actor 
Joe Chrest  Actor 
Cranston Clements  Actor 
Johnny Vidacovich  Actor 
Tommy Malone  Actor 
Sion Daneshrad  Actor 
Peaches Davis  Actor 
George Young  Actor 
Stephanie Dotson  Actor 
Dylan DePaula  Actor 
Seth Morris  Actor 
Tara Copeland  Actor 
Frank Drank  Actor 
Luka Jones  Actor 
Paul Zies  Actor 
Early Whitesides  Actor 
Leslea Fisher  Actor 
Steve Tom  Actor 
Catherine Shreves  Actor 
Amber Dawn Landrum  Actor 
Dustan Costine  Actor 
Tim Hickey  Actor 
Loriel Hennington  Actor 
Tyne Stecklein  Actor 
Krystal Ellsworth  Actor 
Kayla Jenee Radomski  Actor 
Brittany Perry-Russell  Actor 
Colleen Craig  Actor 

Country: USA