If you’re like me, the title of this movie probably caught you off guard. At first, I thought it was a singing competition for Netflix. Then I saw Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams were the stars and had no idea what was going on. Eurovision is a flashy singing competition that takes place every summer where singers from European countries compete to win the coveted title. Much like everything else in 2020, it was canceled this year due to coronavirus. Do you know what wasn’t canceled? The release of Eurovision Song Competition: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix.
Eurovision Song Competition: Fire Saga is a silly satire aiming for the world of reality singing competitions. The film follows Lars and Sigrit a singing duo whose biggest inspiration is ABBA. They’ve performed together since childhood, and their ultimate dream is to make it into Eurovision and win the song contest. With a few unexpected turns, they find themselves competing in the competition for Iceland against all the odds.
He’s played a sleazy anchorman, a childish Christmas elf, an evil stylist, an ice dancer...what outlandish role is left for Will Ferrell to play in the year 2020? Netflix has answered that question as he takes on the role of an Icelandic pop singer. This is a typical Will Ferrell performance. It’s nothing groundbreaking, and it’s particularly goofy. His accent comes and goes in several scenes. In some moments, it disappears completely. In others, it’s ridiculously thick. If you love his humor, you’ll find this funny. Most of his scenes feel like they are geared towards the humor of middle school boys.
Rachel McAdams is the best part of this movie. She is charming and sweet as Sigrit, half of the Fire Saga duo. She works hard to get to Eurovision and ultimately wants Lars to take notice of her as more than a friend. McAdams has proven she can balance comedy just as well as drama (Game Night was a great indicator of that) While Ferrell tries way too hard to get a laugh, McAdams can do it with ease.
There are several cameos by pop stars and TV personalities throughout the movie. Pierce Brosnan plays Lars’ disapproving father. Who’d have thought you’d see James Bond in a Will Ferrell movie? Not me. Dan Stevens shows up a lot in the film as Alexander, a flamboyant Russian singer who befriends Sigrit. Alexander is a far cry from Matthew from Downton Abbey, but Stevens always has a commanding presence on screen. Demi Lovato shows up to play an Icelandic pop singer.
Maybe it’s the fact that I love a good musical number, but the performances are pretty entertaining in this movie. They’re over-the-top due to the film’s satirical nature, but they’re fun to watch. The sing-off, in particular, is the standout of the movie. It blends several hit songs into one medley that is quite fun.
Sadly, fun musical numbers don’t take away from the fact that this movie is too long. It could easily be 90 minutes, but it drags on way longer than it needs to be. There was a point when I thought I’d reached the end, but it still had a half-hour left. I guess that gives the audience more time to hear Will Ferrell’s Icelandic accent (or lack of one).
There’s nothing cinematically groundbreaking in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Despite that, its goofy satire with fun musical sequences that make for an entertaining escape from the chaos of 2020.
My Rating: 6/10