Role Models

It seems like a few times a month, there are new comedies that are released to capitalize on the success of prior films. These films re-use all of the jokes in a way that takes all of the original flair and humor out of them. These films, like College and Disaster Movie, should be avoided at all costs, and should never have been made in the first place. Upon seeing the trailer for Role Models what seems like over a year ago, I felt that this film would be fresh and entertaining. It was all of that and more. It is often the case that the trailer will show all of the funny parts of a film, leaving the audience with nothing new to enjoy when actually watching the movie, but Role Models is filled to the brim with jokes, albeit sometimes overtly sexual in nature, that will leave you crying because you're laughing so hard.

The two main characters Danny and Wheeler, played by Paul Rudd (who co-wrote the screenplay) and Seann William Scott respectively,  make their livings selling energy drinks to students in a say no to drugs (but drink obscene amounts of caffeine) campaign. The hijinks begin when the pair end up crashing their Minotaur energy drink truck into a school statue of a horse. The charges pile up one after another and, when combined, are enough to send them to jail. Luckily, Danny's girlfriend (played by Zack and Miri Make a Porno's Elizabeth Banks) is a lawyer, and she's able to get them just a month of community service. The task that lies ahead of them is not simply cleaning garbage off the side of the road, but being a "big brother"-like mentor to a young boy. Gayle Sweeney (played to hilarious perfection by Jane Lynch), the head of the program, assigns Danny and Wheeler two of the more difficult boys that she has. Augie Farks (played by Christopher Mintz-Plasse aka McLovin) is assigned to Danny while Ronnie Shields (the hilarious, but extremely foul-mouthed Bobb'e J. Thompson) is assigned to Wheeler.

Over the course of the film, Wheeler develops a fatherly/brotherly relationship with Ronnie by teaching him about sex and how to talk to women. Danny on the other hand embraces his geek side and joins Augie on the Dungeons and Dragons-esque battlefield. 

The film, which seems to be just one sexual joke and reference after another, is much more in that the two discover parts of themselves that they never knew existed, and develop friendships with the boys. This film, with its inclusion of highly emotional yet incredibly funny dialogue and plot, delivered all of the laughs while bringing home the message.

My Grade: B

Release Date: November 7, 2008

Rating: R for crude and sexual content, strong language and nudity.

Running Time: 99 min.

Director: David Wain