(Warning - spoilers inside. Read at your own risk.)

For some reason, Hollywood always seems to dish out the same basic storyline for modern "dumb comedies" with the only difference being the changes to the characters, theme and gags and will always have the theatres crawling with folks hoping for some nice laughs. The rise, smackdown and personal recovery followed by some form of ultimate victory has been the basic plot of most Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell and Ben Stiller movies. In its recent form, Will Ferrell plays the part of NASCAR racer Ricky Bobby in "Talladega Nights: the Ballad of Ricky Bobby" but unlike some of the former "Saturday Night Live" trio's earlier films, "Nights" doesn't seem to deliver as one would expect.

Simply put, "Talladega Nights" is a mildly humorous affair that is good for a few laughs but for the most part is as jerky as a rookie driving a clutch for the first time. Heck, the preview for Ferrell's next movie, "Stranger Than Fiction," was perhaps almost as funny as this movie and the trailer lasted only two-and-a-half minutes.

Sure, there are some comical moments in the film but most of them are ones you've already seen in the trailers and television ads (such as the scene when Bobby thrusts a knife into his leg while pretending to be paralyzed) and the rest of "Nights" comes off as dry, disjointed and poorly planned. In racing terms, it stalls for quite a while. This is a far cry from what we know Will Ferrell can do, especially with so many unique characters (such as Sacha Baron Cohen's character, Jean Girard, Bobby's homosexual French rival) the film has to offer. Blame it on poor directing and co-writing by McKay, who has seemed to have lost the magic that made "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy," another Ferell-led movie, such a hilarious work.

Another problem with "Nights" is its inability to determine what side of the political spectrum it is on regarding homosexuality and homoeroticism. Numerous times in the movie, Girard's homosexuality will be at the brunt of a joke and in another; the audience will be forced to watch Cohen lock lips with another male, including a very long smooch with Ferrell after losing the race at Talladega. It's probably enough to offend both the gay and religious communities at the same time.

The sexuality in this flick is a bit on the extreme side for a PG-13 picture. Much like what the critics said about "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" being a bit too racy for its PG-13 rating when an R tag would have sufficed is true for "Nights." This is not a film to bring a pre-teen to and it borders on questionable in bringing a younger teen as well if he or she is not mature enough in dealing with sexual content. The language is mild but average for a PG-13 rating.

The acting was reasonably good considering what the cast was given to work with. Ferrell, Leslie Bibb (as Bobby's wife Carley), Michael Clarke Duncan (as Bobby's crew chief Lucius Washington) and John C. Reilly (as Bobby's best friend and teammate Cal Naughton) all deliver believable performances but nothing special. Ferrell's former "Saturday Night Live" cast-mate Molly Shannon makes a short appearance as the wife of Bobby's owner, Larry Dennit (played by Greg Germann) but her comedic talent is wasted on cheap laughs that any B- or C-level actress could have easily filled in and produced just as well. The best performance comes from Gary Cole, who plays the part of Bobby's father, Reese, a wandering drunk who enters his son's life in some of his most crucial moments and helps him develop both as a driver and a person (although his tactics are a bit off the wall).

The ending of the film is also a bit quirky and leaves you wondering why Ferrell and McKay decided to make it that way. Neither Bobby nor Girard finish the race at Talladega despite being the only two drivers left after the rest of the field was caught in a wreck. Both climb out out their wrecked machines to engage in a bizarre footrace that ends with Bobby outjumping Girard to touch the checkered line.

Is "Talladega Nights" worth the price of admission and hour and fifty minutes of your life? It really is a tough question - there are a good collection of nutty "dumb comedy" moments but there are even more that are worth a little less than a chuckle and, in some parts, you'll find yourself in suspense, wondering when the next laugh is coming around. The safest bet is to wait for the film to come out on DVD and spend a third of the price you'd pay the theatres for admission but if you're willing to set the bar just a slight bit lower than what you would expect from Will Ferrell and can stomach the homoeroticism, head out and buy a ticket.

(Bobby Photo Credit: http://tobetheman.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/wall1_sml.jpg, Bobby and Girard Photo Credit: http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/movie/gallery/1159349/photo_10.jpg )