Will Ferrell Needs to Be Weird Again
Films like <em>The House</em>, which cast the actor as a frustrated suburban everyman, are a waste of his unique comic talents.
A glance at Will Ferrell’s recent history at the box office does not suggest anything resembling a crisis. His last starring role, the 2015 Christmas comedy with Mark Wahlberg, was a huge hit that did well enough to spawn a sequel (coming later this year). Before that, he teamed with Kevin Hart to make , a prison comedy that grossed more than twice its budget; , which did even better than that; and with Zach Galifianakis (which made a healthy $87 million domestically). Ferrell’s new film sticks to that strategy—put the actor alongside an established comedy star (Amy Poehler), give them a high-concept plot (a couple opens a casino in their home!), and wait for the easy cash.
