Friday, November 7, 2008
Movie review: Role Models
Role Models doesn’t consistently hit the high notes, but it’s a better-than-expected comedy for this late in the year.
Role Models, the new comedy starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, is probably the fastest-starting movie in recent memory. Most films give the audience some sort of preamble or take some time to set up the characters, but not Role Models. Despite the unorthodox introduction, though, the opening scenes tell us all we need to know about the characters.
Danny (Rudd) and Wheeler (Scott) work for Minotaur, an energy drink company. When we first meet them, they’re in the midst of their duties, going from school to school touting the benefits of their hyper-caffeinated drink over (illegal) drugs. Danny is the straight man leading the presentation, while Wheeler dresses in an actual minotaur costume and dances around.
When Danny’s girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) breaks up with him, he goes into a mini-tailspin, culminating in him crashing the Minotaur truck into a statue outside of a school. Quicker than you can say “public endangerment,” Danny and Wheeler have been sentenced to 150 hours of community service. They are assigned to Sturdy Wings, a Big Brothers/Big Sisters type of organization that matches kids with adults.
Naturally, the two are paired with the worst of the bunch. Danny is given Augie (Christopher “McLovin” Mintz-Plasse), an ultra-nerd whose only joy in life is playing Laire, a medieval live action role-playing game. Meanwhile, Wheeler finds himself with Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), a foul-mouthed kid who’s been shuffled from person to person because of his unruly behavior. The rest of the film finds Danny and Wheeler struggling to find a way to connect with their kids and to honor their community service obligations.
Since the advent of the Judd Apatow era, the comedy world has become so intertwined that it’s hard to tell the hallmark of one R-rated laugher from the next. Despite the presence of Apatow mainstays Rudd, Banks, Mintz-Plasse and others, this is not an Apatow-produced film, and it actually may be the better for it. Apatow films have fallen into the habit of being about 20 minutes too long, diluting the raucous humor that precedes the ending.
Role Models, directed by David Wain and written by Wain and Rudd (among others), doesn’t suffer from that affliction. If anything, they give short shrift to a couple storylines, especially the relationship between Danny and Beth. But when you have to cover the riotous interactions between Danny & Augie and Wheeler & Ronnie, respectively, not to mention a hilarious turn by Jane Lynch as the leader of Sturdy Wings, it doesn’t leave much time for anything else.
Rudd is at his deadpan best as Danny. His dry delivery is the perfect complement to Scott’s manic nature as Wheeler. Scott, as seemingly usual, plays a hyperkinetic horndog a la Stifler from the American Pie series, a role that fits him to a tee whether he wants it to or not. Mintz-Plasse doesn’t steal the show as he did in Superbad, but he acquits himself just fine in the type of role he’ll probably be typecast in for years to come. Thompson is not a newcomer, but his nonstop filthy chatter steals the show here and will likely make him even more in demand.
Role Models doesn’t consistently hit the high notes like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Tropic Thunder did earlier this year, but it’s a better-than-expected comedy for this late in the year. With all the serious Oscar movies buzzing around, it’s nice to have one out there that just wants to make you laugh.
