Russian lion, Icelandic elves, and other musical revelations in the film 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'.

On Netflix, a new comedy by director David Dobkin ("The Wedding Crashers", "Shanghai Knights") has debuted under the straightforward title "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga". The film, as you might guess, is dedicated to that very event in the music world that annually gathers millions of Europeans (and not only) in front of TV screens.

Charming Fooling Around

From the very first minutes, the film sets the tone for the entire narrative—silly and absurd, but charming and dreamy. The main characters Lars (Will Ferrell) and Sigrit (Rachel McAdams) have dreamed since childhood of getting into the Eurovision contest, but it's incredibly difficult when you live in a remote town in Iceland.

As we know, dreamers can move mountains, so our caricatured but charismatic characters get a chance to try their hand at Europe's main music competition. And then everything will happen according to the laws of the genre: failures and overcoming, misunderstanding and recognition, inspiration and, of course, love.

Justified Expectations and a Simple Message

The film "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" delivers exactly what you expect from it. It good-naturedly mocks the stereotypes of the contest (there is its own Lordi group from Belarus, an abundance of fire shows and crazy backup dancers), sings formulaic but catchy songs, and features stars from the original show, including meme-worthy Alexander Rybak and Conchita Wurst.

Will Ferrell traditionally looks stupid and funny (not always), Rachel McAdams is as sweet and beautiful as ever, and the root of the story lies in simple thoughts—never stop dreaming and pursuing your goal, cherish your loved ones. Yes, it's that simple and clear, but sometimes truisms need to be repeated as often as possible.

The Main Surprise

If Ferrell and McAdams performed in their usual roles, then the hard worker Dan Stevens delivered a real surprise. The "Legion" project already showed what a versatile artist he is, but in the Eurovision film, he managed to demonstrate another facet of his talent, namely comedy. With every appearance, the actor literally steals all the audience's attention.

Stevens played a contestant from Russia and, at the same time, the main favorite of the show, Alexander Lemtov (the surname sounds more Bulgarian, but oh well). His character somehow looks like a young George Michael with the voice of Lev Leshchenko, and he also sings about the "lion of love," but it all looks quite organic. In short, a great character and excellent acting work, and it even avoided blatant clichés.

Is It Worth Watching 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'?

Dobkin's film is quite specific. It is unlikely to appeal to someone who has never watched Eurovision; it is not funny enough to recommend to fans of the comedy genre, but this film definitely has a soul. And elves.

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