Role Models

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott are two very funny comedic actors. They prove what great chemistry they have together. Rudd and Scott star as Danny and Wheeler, two ne'er-do-wells who are sentenced to do community service. They have to serve in a Big-Brother-type program called Sturdy Wings for a total of 150 hours. Danny and Wheeler have opposite attitudes, yet they get along like they have been best friends for years. Jane Lynch (The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Talladega Nights) steals the show as the supervisor of the program that Danny and Wheeler are enrolled in. Elizabeth Banks gives a good supporting turn as Danny's girlfriend and lawyer. Another show stealer is Bobb'e J. Thompson as Ronnie, the kid Wheeler has to be a big brother to. Thompson is given some of the funniest lines and he is believable in this role.

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.

Danny (Paul Rudd) has a bad day on the job and drags his loyal but dim-witted buddy Wheeler (Sean William Scott) down with him. Danny is a 'Red Bull' style energy drink spokesman, Wheeler is the guy in the bull suit that jumps around beside him. In the same 24 hours Danny loses his girlfriend, license and job.

In reality he starts by losing the girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks), and his subsequent tantrum and stupidity sees him lose both license and job and sees him teetering on the verge of imprisonment. Somehow guilt by association sees Wheeler in the same predicament.

To avoid jail Beth – who happens to be a lawyer = lucky – wrangles community service instead. Service in the form of helping disadvantaged and troubled kids for a company named 'Sturdy Wings'.

This shakiest of premises: allowing unreliable young men to mentor impressionable young boys, sets the scene for the slap dash stuff that follows. Miraculously enough though the threadbare premise is held together by enough jokes and amusing moments to make the thing worthwhile, largely due to the continued comedic stylings of one Paul Rudd, and the strength of the various supporting bit parts on display throughout.

When allotted their respective 'littles' (Danny and Wheeler are 'bigs') by Sturdy Wings boss and recovering alcoholic Sweeney (Jane Lynch) we immediately see where this is going.

Danny considers himself 'normal', but in reality he is so concerned with not being deemed 'uncool' that his disdain for cliché and obvious statements leaves everyone else bored by his constant judgment. He scores 16ish Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), a medieval-style role player who is intensely insecure when not in character, and intensely-intense when he is.

Wheeler on the other hand wants no part of responsibility of any kind. He is more than happy being the jumping around sidekick in the costume and has no thought for his own future. For now he is all about the… well let's just say boobies (and everything below). Of course he is allocated troubled young 8ish Ronnie, a profane little sh*t-stirrer who wants nothing more than to not have to deal with adults.

Each kid has parental issues – but ones that don't kill the potential laughs – no abuse here, and the guys must get through to the children in their own way, and sucks; maybe learn a little about themselves on the way… What develops is a rom-com with all the associated hijinks, temporary fall-outs and hitches, only between an adult male and a kid/youth, but that's not where the laughs are born.

Role Models works best in the smaller roles, the now renowned Ken Jeong keeps his pants on this time and plays the King of the role playing game L.A.I.R.E., surrounded by his toadying minions and remaining in character even away from the game in his kingdom at the local cafe. Jane Lynch is a little OTT with the attempted mind games as the Sturdy Wings boss, but she also gets a few of the best lines in the flick, and there are numerous other bit roles – each with a couple jokes – filled by character actors that'll have you remembering them from other bit roles in other flicks.

The jokes are thrown about quick and fast, and while some don't work enough do to make Role Models a lot like I Love You, Man and Knocked Up, lightweight and amusing enough to justify your time, with occasional genuine humour (and unexpected nudity!).

Final Rating – 6 / 10. I can see the future. When I watched this 4 days ago I knew myself well enough that I wrote "It really is a 6" next to the rating. You might not recall Role Models as such a cracking laugh weeks after the viewing, but while you are watching it is a good time.

Role Models is directed by David Wain who also collectively writes the screenplay with Timothy Dowling, Paul Rudd and Ken Marino. It stars Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobbi'e J. Thompson, Elizabeth Banks and Jane Lynch. Music is by Craig Wedren and cinematography by Russ T. Alsobrook.

Two energy drink salesmen (Rudd and Scott) are ordered to perform 150 hours of community service as punishment for an offence that occurred when their company vehicle was about to be towed. For their service, the two men work at a program called Sturdy Wings that is designed to pair kids with adult role models.

Personally I avoided it until now because it just sounded like another lame American bawdy comedy about two slacker dudes who create chaos and then grow up by the end credits. This in spite of the fact that I rate Rudd highly and have often found Scott watchable in small doses. As it happens, the film follows the standard formula of plotting but rises above it with funny dialogue, a commitment to its characters and an avoidance of the sort of treacle thick sentimentality that is out of place in this type of comedy. It's also expertly performed by the cast, with the youngsters doing their shift admirably.

Yep, there's adherence to poignancy and type, while the odd scene just comes off as being too smug and clever. But there's so much fun to be had here it doesn't hurt the film, it's a true pick me up if you are feeling down, a splendid case of a cast finding chemistry across the board and delivering on the promise of the zippy script. 8/10

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-