'The Campaign' -- 1 1/2 stars

( August 9, 2012 )

R; 1:37 running time

The baby-punching joke, for instance. It¿s in the trailer. The North Carolina congressional rivals played by Ferrell (the Democrat, the horndog) and Galifianakis (the sweet-natured Republican son of a venal party operative) spy a mother holding an infant at a campaign event. They sprint toward the lil¿ photo op, both men determined to be first to kiss the baby. Somehow Ferrell ends up clocking it in the face. The slow-mo effects don¿t make the gag funny. They make it eerie, and director Jay Roach ¿ whose HBO Florida 2000 docudrama, ¿Recount,¿ was sharp enough to give me hope for ¿The Campaign¿ ¿ holds none of the shots for the right length of time. Is the idea of the bit amusing? Potentially, in a sadistic way, yes. The execution is just lame. -- Michael Phillips

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