Will Ferrel has been funny precisely twice:

1. The first time he played Alex Trebeck on SNL with The Mimic (can't remember his name) playing off of him as Sean Connery. That was good.

2. His "I'm not dead, but very badly burned!" riff as Mustafah in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery."

That's IT. He has ruined every film he's been in, even when surrounded by funnier actors, as in "Ron Burgundy." He's like the black hole of comedy - no laughs escape.

The only reason this horse's ass has a career is because of the Lorne Michaels-Bernie Brillstein-Brad Grey Axis. They tried with Tim Meadows, Chris Kattan and various others, and failed. With Ferrel they somehow succeeded, but I strongly suspect that's only because shit floats.

I am not quite as vehement as Mister Marker, but I have to agree that I have never understood the appeal of Will Ferrell. Never. Every time I have seen him in a film, it's as if he's dropped in from a completely different reality. Jay and Silent Bob, Wedding Crashers (contrast the scene with Will Ferrell in his house with the scene between Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson on the beach--those are from the same movie?), The Producers.

For my money he's nothing but a schtick-using, scenery-chewing, one-note clown. He doesn't act; he mugs. I am completely baffled as to how he manages to please so many critics. Perhaps Stephanie or Andrew can explain it--I certainly don't understand it.

Otherwise how can he get so much work?

CON: Ferrell is overexposed. I will grant that. I would like to see him less often, in more inspired works.

CON: He's kind of an ugly dude.

CON: He doesn't have much versatility. He's usually an egotistical, oblivious oaf. In "Stranger Than Fiction" they took out the "egotistical" part and it didn't work too well -- he was just a kinda boring oaf. The formula of making him a sporting star who's utterly full of himself is like the comedy flipside of movies where Tom Cruise plays a cocky guy (that is, every Tom Cruise movie). Maybe the two of them should get together as a duo of egotists who get one-upped by newcomers.

PRO: Ferrell was pretty good in "Zoolander." His high-pitched, whiny shrieks were right for the part, and he looked funny with the crazy hair in Ben Stiller's hallucination/hypnosis sequence. I am sure Zacharek would disagree, because she seems to hate Ben Stiller movies.

PRO: Ferrell was funny in his small role in "The Wedding Crashers," as the guy who had moved on from crashing weddings to crashing funerals, and who still lived with his mom. That was a sort of cameo appearance, though, and I have to say, if you have a surprise cameo, making it Will Ferrell is disappointing. "Ohhhh.....it's just him."

PRO: Ferrell was very funny as the "lover" on SNL who always over-pronounced words, like "hottub" instead of "hot tub," or "crevASSE" instead of "crevice." He and his co-star (I forget which female comedian) did a great job underling why the TMI of other people's sex lives is gross.

PRO: Ferrell will do just about anything for a laugh, but he doesn't resort to scatology nearly as much as other big-money comedy actors do. Maybe I have missed it, but I haven't seen Ferrell do any scenes revolving around farts/poop/etc. (Feel free to inform me otherwise.) Contrast that with Jim Carrey and Mike Myers.

Wow, you people just have no sense of humor do you.

Honestly?? Frank the Tank in Old School isn't one of the funniest roles in a generation?? When he tastes beer again for the first time in a long time - 'tastes so good on the lips' - when he's streaking through a Snoop Dog concert and through the town 'ya think the KFC's still open' - 'you're my boy, blue!' - When he does his ribbon dance?? I mean, the whole movie is funny mostly because of him.

Every SNL character he played? He OWNED SNL for about 10 years running, and it hadn't been funny for a long time after he left [it's rebounding this year]. 'I need more cow bell' - the SNL writers LOVED writing for him because he is so versatile and side-splitting. 'I love it when you call me Big Pappa - Goulet'

Elf is a great movie - and only he could have the played role with such awkward innocence and joy. He was adorable AND funny.

I'll stop now because the list of his funny movies and roles is too numerous for me to continue, really. The fact that you don't find him funny says more about your lack of humor than about him.

His warped view of the world is exactly what the doctor ordered.