ON THE SCREEN: “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” Review
“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” Review
Directed by: David Dobkin
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 2:03
Review by: Livi Edmonson
Starring Rachel McAdams and Will Ferrell, the new Netflix original musical comedy, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” tells the story of two small-town singers who chase their pop star dreams at a global music competition, after being inspired as kids to become Icelandic pop stars and better yet, international pop stars. With the competition comes many rivals and high stakes, which of course, puts the long-term bond between the two pals to the test.
The plot for the film is interesting to say the least, and with A-list actors like Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams attached, it comes as no surprise that this film would be a Netflix hit. However, I think the names attached to the film is what makes it bearable to watch. Otherwise, we would just have another Netflix pile of garbage like “The Kissing Booth” franchise on our hands. Although this film is labeled as a “musical comedy” I think that it sometimes contains a few scenes that come off as trying to be serious, which results in the film lagging a little bit, missing multiple comedic beats along the way. Nonetheless, the film does have some fantastic moments of comedy to dwell on, as audiences can only expect with this dynamic duo leading the way.
Ultimately, the film’s downfall comes from its need to try too hard. It is obvious from the beginning that the musical’s narrative has a goal to be funny and fictional. We know this because the plot is too playful to be taken seriously, as assumed by McAdams and Ferrell not being professional singers in real life, whereas in comparison with “A Star is Born,” audiences know to take that particular film’s musical context seriously because its lead, Lady Gaga, is an established singer and performer. Thus, knowing all of this going into the film, we know its ultimate goal is to make us, as the audience, laugh. Therefore, I do not think that it should be thrown into our face thousands of times that we should be laughing.
“Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” tries too hard to gain the attention of its audience. If the comedy was not as forced, I maybe would have enjoyed the Netflix film more than I actually did, but instead, I found myself labeling it as one of those movies that I would never watch again and forget about months later. With all of this being said, if you are a die-hard fan of Will Ferrell, maybe give this film a try, but do not expect it to be his customary blockbuster work.
I give it a 4 out of 10 because it was still a thousand times better than “The Kissing Booth.”