Role Models

Danny is in a rut with his life and hates his job as a promoter of a sugar/caffeine energy drink called minotaur, while his co-worker, Wheeler, loves it. However after being dumped by his girlfriend, Danny crashes his minotaur truck into a school monument and he and Wheeler face the prospect of 30 days in jail or 150 hours of community service doing big-brother type work with disadvantaged youngsters. While Wheeler is landed with Ronny an obnoxious little 10 year old, Danny is landed with a dungeons and dragon playing geek called Augie. While neither of them hit it off with the kids at first they all eventually become friends and learn a lot of life lessons. Ahhhh!

Now, you might think that from this semi-sarcastic tone I hated it, but oh contraire, far from. I admit I had low expectations of this film that were completely smashed by the scatter-gun humour of the film. The dialogue is funny and the sarcasm bitingly funny at times, as the top line suggests. Paul Rudd is perfect as the miserable Danny and Sean William Scott is perfectly cast as the free-living, but unfortunate Wheeler.

The film manages to tread that fine line between cliché ridden schmaltz (Like 27 dresses) and refreshingly enjoyable comedies (Like Something About Mary) with a deft touch, the direction is sure footed and manages to deliver a surprise ending that I would never have guessed from how it began.

A laugh out loud comedy that exceeds expectations.

Role Models is a funny film with great dialog this is one of those films that doesn't rely on psychical comedy to carry it. So the movie is about these two guys Danny and Wheeler who are sentenced to community service and what they have to do is be big brothers to these two kids that they cannot stand.

The strong points in the movie are the sarcastic lines that Paul Rudd gives and the antics Bobb'e J. Thompson will do, and how crazy Jane Lynch is besides that no one else is funny really at all. Comedy wise this movie will hit and miss and when it misses it really misses with the poop jokes they do or mindless swearing the movie is just lame but the sarcasm and weirdness characters bring will have you laughing.

The plot is pretty predictable it is just a buddy comedy but I will hand it to them this movie makes LARP look pretty cool. What I do enjoy is that they don't hold over Paul Rudd romance side plot too much in the story they stick by the guys trying to get along with these kids.

This is directed by David Wain he hasn't directed notable stuff but he has directed episodes of Children's Hospitol, which is a pretty funny show.

Overall this is a funny comedy not the best but worth a watch I say a solid rental.

Role Models - Two energy drink spokesmen, Wheeler and Danny (Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd) get in trouble with the law after Danny has a break-up with his girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks who is in everything these days). They are given the choice of jail or community service with troubled kids, and choose the latter. Danny is given a boy Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse of Superbad) who wears a cape and is into role-playing games. Wheeler is given a foul mouthed terror of a boy (Bobb'e J. Thompson).

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott have good chemistry. Rudd has dry sarcasm to spare and Scott plays a sex-addled numbskull. Their interactions with the two talented young boys are funny and occasionally sweet. Bobb'e J. Thompson is one of the better child actors of his age and makes the nightmare of every teacher a cool often wickedly funny little character. Christopher Mintz-Plasse, or "McLovin'" as he's known throughout America, plays essentially the same character but sweeter and shy and, funny enough, less creepy. So yeah, he's pretty firmly typecast as "dork" at this point. But he's a very palatable dork and may help raise the image of dorks everywhere above the status of subhuman. I heard many girls in the audience very sensitive to his plight in the audience.

A few parts of the plot are contrived. But aside from a few film snobs, who goes to see a comedy for its original plot? The important thing is the laughs, and this is where the film delivers. Directed by David Wain, maker of The Ten (funny cult film), and written by Wain and Paul Rudd, this film is hilarious. The laughs were frequent and hearty. One of the films defining elements is the showcasing of role-playing games such as Dungeons&Dragons (here it is known as L.A.I.R.E). Role Models takes a surprisingly even handed look at it. It pokes fun, of course (so easy). But there is also respect ingrained. The result is a case of "so lame it's awesome" where the absurdity of D&D is given the gravitas of your average Hollywood blockbuster. It's hilarious, and does look terribly fun.

And it's here that the film makes it's stand. Do what makes you happy, no matter what your parents or anyone else tells you. It's been said in so many films that the message seems false at this point. But in Role Model's extreme example of people doing what makes them happy, it really does ring true. You got to give a bunch of people playing with foam swords in the forest their due. They're doing what makes them happy. Can you say the same for yourself? I can't right now.

This was a delightful film. It may be a bad year for movies, but it's a damn fine one for comedy. A-

Just saw this tonight at an advance screening. It was very funny, and warm hearted. I suppose the humor is often crude, but, hey. The natural dialog reminded me of Superbad and 40 Year Old Virgin. Paul Rudd has developed a deadpan style of improvisational humor that seems to work better and better the more movies he makes. Christopher Mintz-Plasse from Superbad and Robb'e J. Johnson are excellent as the kids. Jane Lynch brings her signature brand of demented free association to the role of the charity-addicted leader of a kids charity. If you liked Superbad, Pineapple Express and 40 Year Old Virgin, go! If you didn't; Dude, like, don't!

I love Jane Lynch and Paul Rudd. The cast is great even if the film has some issues. Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd played business partners who end up serving community service as the Sturdy Wings big brothers in Jane Lynch's center. The film has some moments but it's really entertaining if you don't wanted to think too much. Despite having kids in the movie, this film is not for children.