USA – From the first day of its release, NETFLIX’s Eurovision Song Contest: The Fire Saga movie has created a pandemic of its own. In an unprecedented success, the movie is second in NETFLIX top ten this weekend, keeping in mind that the Americans have little knowledge about the contest after the failed two-year broadcast from a cable TV station.
Twitter is thrilled because, for most Eurofans, the movie and its international appeal and market reach is a justification that their favourite TV show is finally recognized as one of the top events in the globe after Oscars, the Olympics or even the MTV EMA / VMA.
The international press actually welcomed the movie in a somehow positive way. Keep in mind that Will Ferrell movies are known to be soft parodies of events and stories but somehow they are always respecting the subject they are dealing with.
Talking to former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show a couple of days ago, Demi explained:
I don’t do accents and, to be honest, I was so excited to do a movie with Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams that I just said “yes” without thinking that “oh, I’m going to have to do an accent!” So the day before, I’m in London about to shoot and I’m like “oh my gosh, I’m playing an Icelandic pop star!” I needed to know how to speak like an Icelander, it didn’t dawn on me! I did my best and luckily its a comedy… you won’t see me play an Icelandic pop star in a drama any time soon! I think it’s really beautiful that there’s something like Eurovision that brings people together, especially in this day in age when there’s so much hate in the world. When you’re able to turn [the devastation of] a war into something positive and bring people together through the universal language of music, it is beautiful, powerful and inspiring.
One Eurostar that participated only through her voice was JESC participant for Sweden and 2016 Melodifestivalen entrant Molly Sandén, the former girlfriend of Eric Saade. Speaking to BBC Newsbeat, Sandén explains that she was approached to take part in the movie whilst on holiday in Los Angeles. Upon learning about the character of Sigrit, she instantly connected with her as it reminded her of herself when she was younger and her dreams of competing in the Eurovision Song Contest.
I felt like a failure the last time I tried to compete for Sweden because the plan was for me to win. It now feels so good to come back from this angle. It feels like I’m coming back to Eurovision… but this time I’m winning.
WHAT DID WE LIKE THE MOST?
The level of songs. The songs that were heard in the film, in my ears, sounded more than decent. The interpretations of most actors. The vast majority of them are both successful and with nice interpretations. It was after all the best substitute for a lost year without a Eurovision Song Contest. But the biggest fallout of the movie is the lack of Eurovision winner in the end.
THE TIME REVIEW
Forget comedy superstars; supporting players are the comedy gods’ true gift to us, especially in the Will Ferrell vehicle Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga. Ferrell and Rachel McAdams star as Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir, two Icelandic misfits with hearty voices and a big dream: to enter, and possibly win, the Eurovision Song Contest, the televised international songwriting competition that draws a huge audience in many parts of the world, if not the U.S. Read the full text here.
THE WASHINGTON POST IS TOTALLY NEGATIVE
As Will Ferrell movies go, “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga” ranks somewhere in that vast, grey, paunchy middle area, perhaps wedged just above the waistband of “Zoolander 2” but just below the belly button of “Kicking and Screaming.” If the movie, about an inept Icelandic music duo with dreams of winning the annual Eurovision Song Contest, fails to achieve the inspired lunacy of an “Anchorman,” it is nevertheless nowhere near as bad as, say, “Holmes and Watson.” Read the full text here.
NME REVIEW SOMEHOW MODEST BUT NOT EXCITED
The cringy accents and misjudged jokes are a shame, in a way, because Ferrell’s film is actually a well-meaning underdog story about a couple of guileless dreamers who make it to Eurovision, fuck up massively (and hilariously), but ultimately end up succeeding anyway. Even Downton Abbey star Dan Stevens’ cartoon villain, Fire and Ice’s scheming Russian revival Alexander Lemtov, gets a happy ending involving a stealthy potshot at Putin’s homophobic regime. Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga isn’t a disaster, but it’s a case of douze points for the big comic set pieces, and maybe three or four for everything else. Read the full text here.
THE GUARDIAN IS ALSO RELACTUANT
Not so much a comedy, more a strained, movie-length featuremercial for the Eurovision Song Contest brand, hung on a plot borrowed from The Producers, and originally planned to coincide with the now-cancelled Eurovision 2020. Will Ferrell is phoning it in as co-writer and co-star, playing opposite Rachel McAdams, who though an estimable performer is not a natural comic. Ferrell and McAdams play Lars Erickssong and Sigrit Ericksdottir from Iceland, of all the uproariously uncool Eurovision-contestant countries, who are a tragically awful pop double act called Fire Saga and yearn to be their nation’s official entry. Against the odds, Lars and Sigrit get their shot at glory. Read the full text here.
A MORE POSITIVE RTE REVIEW
Although he has brilliantly lampooned fashion, broadcast journalism and figure skating in the past, Will Ferrell was always going to have his work cut out trying to roast Eurovision over the spit of satire. Just how do you go about sending up a contest that’s already brilliant at sending itself up on an annual basis? Eurovision, and its adoring millions, have been in on the joke for ages. The lovely horse had bolted long before Ted and Dougal arrived with a saddle. Read the full text here.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE GREEK REACTIONS
Where is Eleni Foureira? The big question from Greece (which is also presented by an actress in the movie) and Cyprus is why Eleni Foureira is not in the movie. It seems that the filming began in AUGUST 2019 and might have included Tel Aviv and Lisbon shooting. Loreen, Rybak, Odobescu, Lundwig, Nechayieva, Concita and Netta are featuring in a common song but Foureira nowhere. The question has arisen for many reasons.
First because if there was a shooting in Lisbon, Foureira was already a top favourite for the trophy (from the very first day of the rehearsals). If the shooting took place in Tel Aviv, Foureira was already more successful in charts and invitations than Netta.
While we try to clarify when the shooting of the common song took place many believe in the conspiracy that Israel was already decided to win Eurovision 2018, just like the conspiracy that Iceland would have won Eurovision 2020 due to the release of the movie.
But what do you think? We are 100% sure you watched the movie. So how would you rate it? Have. say in our poll below.
