Trailer Talk: 'Casa De Mi Padre' Must Be Saving Laughs for Full-Length Feature

Will Ferrell’s career could use a Redbull following duds like “Land of the Lost” and “Everything Must Go.”

The latter reaffirmed Ferrell’s range without making a dent at the box office, and the former should be put in a time capsule and buried indefinitely. “The Other Guys” proved Ferrell could still draw a crowd, but the film couldn’t measure up to the likes of “Anchorman,” “Old School” or the brilliant “Elf.”

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But Ferrell’s new comedy, “Casa de mi Padre,” hardly looks like a return to form. instead, It’s a one-joke premise without an actual laugh judging by the trailer. The Spanish-language film casts Ferrell as one of two brothers warring with a drug lord to save the family ranch. The film co-stars Diego Luna (“Contraband”), Nick Offerman and Gael Garcia Bernal.

The trailer looks like a wonderful starting point for a comedy, but we’re still waiting for the actual jokes to be weaved into the footage. The notion of Ferrell speaking Spanish might be good for a chuckle, but the gimmick wears out before the trailer’s two-minute running time elapses. That doesn’t bode well for the finished movie.

This telenovela parody may play well in Latino markets overseas, and perhaps the nation’s growing Hispanic population will rally ’round the material. Those waiting for “Anchorman”-sized laughs may be flustered.

Let’s hope “Casa de mi Padre” is that rare instance where the trailer couldn’t capture the humor found in the full-length film.