The comedic talent present in The Campaign, a political satire starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis as rivals running for the same seat in Congress, is clear. The successes and failures of the film come down to how these comics utilize the vast wealth of political material ripe for a skewering, as the film often takes the easy laughs over the more creative and imaginative jokes.

Sure, there are laughs to be found, but one can’t help but feel there is more to be desired here.

Will Ferrell plays the democratic incumbent and all-around jerk, Cam Brady, who is set for his fifth straight term as congressman for a small district in North Carolina, running unopposed. When two greedy and evil CEOs, not-so-subtly dubbed the Motch brothers (John Lithgow and Dan Aykroyd) see an opportunity to oust Brady and place a puppet in his seat, they add Marty Huggins (Galifianakis), an odd and naive local, into the running. What follows is a campaign that grows increasingly hostile as a multitude of interested parties get involved and the fighting becomes terribly personal.

The opening several minutes of the film perfectly illustrate the comedic landscape of the movie. Several rather safe, mildly funny, political jabs, a funny comedic bit that is used one too many times, and a shocking, gem of a joke that doesn’t outstay its welcome are all rolled into one opening sequence. The comedy here is sporadic, as inspired gags struggle for room to breathe against the lowest common denominator joke. A very capable supporting cast, which includes the likes of Jason Sudeikis, Dylan McDermott, and Brian Cox struggle for room to flex their acting and comedic muscles, as they’re often drowned out by the noncommittal script (with the possible exception of McDermott).

Director Jay Roach, of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents fame, doesn’t offer much direction to the film outside of a few inspired gags early on, as the story meanders to a rather anti-climactic ending that fails to push both the comedic and storytelling bill. The talented and very funny cast does all it can to fight against a story that shows much less ambition than it should, as the chemistry between Ferrell and Galifianakis is undeniable, regardless of the odd behavior of their characters.

The Campaign seems to have a schizophrenic sense of humor, as it presents a wide variety of comedic styles, some of which work miraculously, while many fail altogether. There are simply too many running gags that don’t work. While punching a baby can be humorous in its absurdity, there is simply no reason to recall that joke several more times throughout the film. Unfortunately, this is only one such example of attempting to stretch too much out of a joke.

As The Campaign shows early signs of promise, the film can’t live up to its potential. Sure, you’ll laugh a bit here and there, as Ferrell, Galifianakis, and company show more than enough comedic prowess, but the jokes seem cheap and easy, with very few inspired gags to be found. With such potential to simply satirize the political system, the film makes the mistake of trying to hint at something bigger, as it attempts to make some sort of commentary on the political system, while all it ends up doing is saying very little while sacrificing the comedy of it all.

Grade: C

Rated: R (for crude sexual content, language and brief nudity)

The Campaign opens in theaters on August 10, 2012.