Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga  ★★½

WHAT a laugh an hour Will Ferrell’s latest film is.

I’ve said it before…comedies should be as close to 90 minutes in length as possible.

Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga runs for around two hours and feels it.

It’s not a terrible film; it’s just not that funny, which isn’t ideal for a comedy.

Some of the key elements that surround the main story are actually not bad. I liked the Icelandic scenery and the effort taken with set design and costuming to replicate the garish annual song contest.

In particular the performances and costumes seem typical of the real event enjoyed by millions each year.

Ferrell and Rachel McAdam are fine in the lead roles, but Dan Stevens, as the flamboyant, likely gay but doesn’t know it, Russian performer Alexander Lemtov, steals every scene he is in.

Sigrit and Lars are childhood friends who have grown up in a small Icelandic fishing village harbouring dreams of one day becoming performers, in Lars’ case wanting to represent his country at Eurovision.

Sigrit has a beautiful voice but Lars doesn’t. He’s also accident-prone which doesn’t help his amateur choreography. Against all odds they

You will be surprised to know that against all odds the pair, who call themselves Fire Saga, end up vying for the opportunity. Through a series of ridiculous events the Icelandic organising committee decides it doesn’t want to win the contest that year so let’s Fire Saga proceed expecting them to fall flat on their faces.

The film plays out in a very formulaic manner and limps to its inevitable conclusion, albeit with an occasional highlight.

Pearce Brosnan must have wanted a holiday in Iceland because for some reason he shows up as Ferrell’s father.

It’s inoffensive and watchable, particularly for Eurovision fans wanting to spy some of the past winners in cameos.

But it’s rarely funny.