Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga Review: 4 Ups & 6 Downs

5. The Lazy Humour

If you were hoping that the film might be a smart skewering of the Eurovision Song Contest in all of its silliness, prepare to be disappointed.

This isn't so much a cute mockery of the contest's pomp and circumstance as it is a genuine attempt to craft an affecting underdog story.

Most of the humour stems instead from lazy jokes about how "weird" Europeans are, alongside the usual tired, tasteless gags you'd expect from most Ferrell comedies these days.

It's clear that a clever iteration of this concept was absolutely possible, but instead Ferrell and co-writer Andrew Steele grab the low-hanging fruit almost every single time.

There are long lurches of screen time where viewers aren't likely to crack more than the most mild of smiles.

It is a film desperately trying to play as broad as possible, rather then actually having a voice and a point-of-view which might've made it somewhat interesting - and certainly funnier.