As this Ferrell/McKay film was presented with a little bit more meat with it, Jennie and I figured we would give it a shot. After all, this isn’t some bland sports movie with a yards of footage of Ferrell riffing. I can’t say we were fully rewarded for our efforts, but this is certainly his best film since Stranger Than Fiction (2005).
The premise is comedy gold, as Kenny Bania would have said. The alarming fact that someone at that age is still living with his parents is wrought with landmines of laughter. And to have two individuals who are in the same situation thrown together by their parent’s nuptials is an amazing concept. I liken this idea, a purely great comedic situation, to Idiocracy (2006). How can it not win?
And though Step Brothers does surpass Idiocracy, in that it uses its ingenious concept to create some great comedic moment, I can’t help but think the loose feeling that McKay’s films seem to generate is this films downfall. John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell were made to play these roles. There is just the right amount of tension and lunacy to create some amazingly funny moments. I loved Reilly’s reaction to Ferrell using his drums, I laughed out loud when Ferrell and Reilly instantly became friends over a shared love of John Stamos, and to watch the pair play “Time to Say Goodbye” was a moment from my life I didn’t know I was missing.
But let’s get back to McKay’s inability to restrain his actors. I know it is the in-thing in comedy to let the cameras roll – pick up enough footage and you will make a hilarious film. At least, I think that is the idea. But without some tightly written jokes and scenarios the film as a whole feels like a riff. Missing are the details and thought behind well written comedy. It is hard to make a call back when you forget what the hell is going into the film in the first place. Also with this method you create a slew of miscues that can be fixed but create an aura of disbelief. If the actors don’t know what is ‘real’ to them then how are they to keep that world intact.
Ultimately, though, I really did enjoy this film. I thought its concept certainly worked along with its principle actors, and they were genuinely funny. But, McKay’s loose construct makes for a somewhat bumpy ride.
4 out of 10 – Ferrell/Reilly/McKay present a great concept and garnish it with a few purely comical moments, but the whole structure is too loose for my taste.
6 comments:
I am glad to hear that you enjoyed this.
My favorite parts of the movie were generally the ad-libbing. Ferrell used a lot of really great phrases and funny swearing. I don't think Reilly is funny in general, but he did nothing to bring down the mood here.
I guess my biggest question for you is this: What is a well written comedy; and, more importantly, how much does that matter? For me, a cohesive well-plotted story can often compromise raw humor. Maybe this is why I like SNL's short bursts so much, esp. Will Forte's anarchic style.
First off, I should say that this review read more like a 6/10 than a 4...the people want coherence and transparency, Ash. Give them what they WANT.
Second, I would say next to "Bottle Shock" this was my least favorite movie this year. Absolutely groan inducing the entire way through. Predictably crass, this movie's raison d'etre was basically well if I say some unsual word before cursing, it becomes funny!
Also, c'mon Ash...John Stamos jokes! Oh, I get it...he had a very popular show 15 years ago but now is not nearly as popular. HOW RETRO AND CRAZY ! HA HA !
I love Richard Jenkins and John C. and I have to hope in my heart of hearts that they got a sweet paycheck here. In terms of Ferrell, the man has outdone himself on his slow steady sink to the bottom. And I saw Semi-Pro! This is easily his worst, most uninspired character yet. I snickered maybe twice.
Travis,
well written comedy, in my book, is something like Arrested Development. They use well thought out jokes that work on several levels not just the one: Oh, I thought of this outrageous thing to say to this child that I'm supposed to be betting up..
also well written comedies, again, in my opinion, have call backs, something that is missing in a Ferrell's stuff. You throw out the set up to a joke early, but give it no resolution, or if there is a resolution it isn't the payoff you want. The joke then lingers in the consciousness until it is brought back and produces a bigger laugh when it's completed.
To anonymous,
I feel I was quite coherent. Just because I believe Ferrell didn't fall flat on his face as he has done in his previous outings (as my review connotes) doesn't mean I have to give the film a good rating. A film by an actor on an upswing doesn't have to be great, but I can recognize the upswing without having to simply live in the past when I thought Ferrell was a comic genius (I fact I have never truly subscribed to). This is the reason between the disparity in my rating and my general tone of the review. I believed this to be Ferrell's best outing in a while, a fact I stated in the review.
By the way, the reason the Stamos Joke is funny has nothing to do with the name drop. Nothing what so ever. You miss the point of the humor from the joke. That joke is born from the concept that children become friends for no reason. Your best friend in middle school was only your best friend because of your shared love of Grape Soda (a joke Jerry Sienfield first made), as you grew older and more sophisticated you realized that similarities in your preferences wasn't what made a good friend. But men living with their parents may still believe that their best friend is simply the person who likes what they like. Thus it is funny.
and my last point will be this. Humor is not universal in any way whatsoever. This is not a cop out.
My wife never laughs at the same jokes I laugh at in movies, Travis obviously has a different taste in humor as well, anonymous, I'm not sure what you think is funny, but for me, I like complex humor, that is my taste - takes a lot of thought - you have to work for yourself to construct the humor - but that is just what I like. If anything in movies is subjective, I believe it to be humor. This is why comedies don't last, what is funny in one generation is rarely funny to another. I watched a Fish called Wanda and didn't laugh once, I hated the Jerk - Stripes, Caddy Shack, anything with Chevy Chase, all horrible. Comedy is subjective.
i can't believe you didn't realize that I was anonymous! who else reads this, narso!?
anyway, one thing I can't stand about high concept set ups like this is that while I recognize its intent isn't to make logical sense, the puzzle pieces just don't fit together. Maybe hasn't been my comedic style for quite some time ("Liar Liar" perhaps being the last one I truly enjoyed) making me outside of its intended demographic. So are these man children literally children in men's bodies? The characters in "Step brothers" aren't just losers who lived with their parents but instead they behave like they were 8 years old which is a different premise all together, right? I might be splitting hairs but some of the shtick seem downright embarrassing and so predictable!
And while I'll half give you the read of the Stamos joke, it still seemed like a cheap reference gag even if you were able to get a kernel other kind of relevance out of it.
Obviously, as per my facebook list, people seem to like the wacky curse word combos but frankly, that ship has passed in my mind. I'd like to state for the record that I actually think Blades of Glory, played for all of its homophobic inspired laughs was way funnier than this. But then again, that's just me.
Brad Pitt's performance in Burn After Reading is, in the parlance of our dear blog writer, comedic gold. Now there is irony done subtly and with some grace.
-MATTHEW STEPHAN SIBLO AKA NOT ANONYMOUS.
I just want to reiterate what I think has already been said that comedy is subjective, generational, etc. etc.
Having said that, my husband thinks that this movie is "stupid as hell, but I loved it" his words. He laughed the whole time and I kept thinking "meh..."
Anyway, humor is humor, it's funny to someone, but if it's not your style don't watch it.
Post a Comment