As the election year creeps to a climax it’s hard not to be a little depressed about all the corrupt politicians that make up the circus we call “American Politics.” Luckily we have the awesome comedy “The Campaign” to make us cry from laughter instead of sheer depression.
“The Campaign” stars comedy titans Will Ferrell and Zack Galifianakis as competing candidates for a coveted congressional seat in the town of Hammond North Carolina. Will’s character Cam Grady (your average wealthy republican) has maintained his seat for several terms until a hilariously absurd sex scandal opens the possibly of losing it. The only thing keeping the incompetent incumbent in office is the fact that he has no opponent. This all changes when corrupt businessmen the Motch brothers (portrayed by comedy veterans John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) see the scandal as an opportunity to get their own candidate into office. In an effort to increase profits the Motch brothers have planned to legally turn 
the district into a Chinese labor camp and this can only be possible if their own candidate is elected. Unfortunately their chosen candidate, town tourism director and dedicated croc wearer Marty Huggins (Galifianakis) has no previous experience in the political world making the fight for congressional district 14 all the more entertaining.
As usual, Will Ferrell does a great job portraying an arrogant yet incompetent overachiever but the real standout star of “The Campaign” is Zack Galifianakis as the overly effeminate Marty. Will’s character Cam Brady is funny but not anything I haven’t seen before, Marty Huggins on the other hand is a refreshingly unique character that only comes along once in a while. Due in large part to his southern upbringing Glafianakis has perfected each and every characteristic of the effeminate southern man specially the signature lispy voice that 
you’ll most certainly be mimicking long after the credits stop rolling. I can’t keep myself from smiling every second Marty Huggins is on screen and I could totally see him getting his own sequel.
The interaction between Brady and Huggins is great but without a decent plot for this banter the movie wouldn’t fare very well. Luckily, “The Campaign” has a competent story that highlights each character as they fall deeper into the corrupt world of smoke and mirrors we call American politics. It’s not a particularly moral-heavy movie but it gets the message across well enough, sort of like a really long episode of South Park. Its creators also do a great job of incorporating a cavalcade of supporting roles into the story including Jason Sudeikis and Dylan McDermott as opposing campaign managers.
The Marty Huggins character is worth the price of admission alone but when you team it with Ferrell’s character and set it all in a surprisingly smart political satire, “The Campaign” is a must see. I give it four out of five pugs!
