41: Twelve Movies - Role Models

CAUTION: Yen's blog contains harsh language and even harsher notions of propriety. Reader discretion is advised.



Originally posted: 15 March 2009

12 Days: 12 Movies
Day Three: ROLE MODELS
(2009, 101mins, Dir. David Wain)



Put Simply: Better than you might think, and yet exactly what you expect it to be.
Stars: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J Thomson

As plots go, this is actually fairly formulaic. A mis-matched pair of friends/colleagues are tired of life and go one step too far trying to assuage the boredom. This results in a court-ordered stint in a social care program where they're assigned 'problem' kids, and through their bonding, everyone comes out the other side as changed and better people. Sorted.

If it sounds clichéd, it is. But that's not to say that it isn't immensely entertaining in the process. Paul Rudd is his usual, subtly-brilliant, self. Seann William Scott is very likeable as his 'hyper' colleague. Mintz-Plasse is, sadly, not quite as good as his performance in Superbad, and comparisons are assured as they're basically the same character. But the real show-stealer is Bobb'e J Thomson as the foul-mouthed Ronnie. As brilliant as he is, it's slightly unnerving to think that there's no trick editing here to accentuate the performance, he really is swearing that much :p

A notable mention goes to Jane Lynch, giving her deadpan (with an extra twist of mental) performance as the project co-ordinator with a corn-dog fixation. Elizabeth Banks does a decent job as Paul Rudd's girlfriend, but never really comes over as that likeable, which makes the final act a little unconvincing. And she can do likeable, because she did it to great effect in Zack and Miri...
That doesn't really matter though, as the movie is essentially a series of gags centering around boobs, geeks, swearing and Kiss, and Banks is in the second row with the supporting cast.

If you liked Anchorman, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Superbad and Zack and Miri Make A Porno, you'll like this. :) Thoroughly predictable, thoroughly entertaining.

I reckon: 8/10

Tomorrow: Capote

DISCLAIMERS:
• ^^^ That's dry, British humour, and most likely sarcasm or facetiousness.

• This is a personal blog. The views and opinions expressed here represent my own thoughts (at the time of writing) and not those of the people, institutions or organizations that I may or may not be related with unless stated explicitly.