Citizen Kane it is not, but "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" shakes off a rough beginning to be a consistently entertaining film. Will Ferrell is Ricky Bobby, a pit crew member who gets his chance to lead the team when its driver suddenly quits. Soon, Bobby is winning every race and is enjoying the limelight with his best friend Cal (John C. Reilly) and his new wife Carley (Leslie Bibb). New competition from a gay Frenchman (Sasha Baron Cohen) and a devastating crash leaves Bobby psychologically unable to compete. His life is in shambles as Cal has gone on to marry Carley, the team has fired him, and he's forced to move back home to his mother as a pizza delivery guy. It takes his father and others to motivate him to go back into racing.

The first 30 minutes seems to suffer from lengthy scenes that could be shortened. But once Bobby's life is in the pits, the movie starts to find its groove with plenty of laughs and some good lines. Director Adam McKay balances the comedic lives of Ricky Bobby and company with the authenticity of NASCAR racing to great results. But the amazing part is that pretty much every character has something to laugh about starting with Ferrell and Reilly but even going down to Michael Clarke Duncan, Gary Cole, and the kids. It's something to see for yourself.