For those of you who remember Will Ferrell’s last film, Semi-Pro, you’ll probably agree that there wasn’t much worth remembering about it. Despite the box office success of more recent films like Talladega Nights ($158 million worldwide) and Blades of Glory ($138 million worldwide), it has been argued by some that Will Ferrell movies have lost their charm. Whether the problem with such films is that Ferrell’s man-child act has become boring or that sub par writing has been thrust towards the star in hopes he’ll redeem it, the fact remains that the quotability, sidesplitting moments, and cult-like following stemming from hits like Anchorman and Old School have yet to be repeated in recent years. Step Brothers reunites Will Ferrell with Talladega Nights co-star John C. Reilly and Anchorman director Adam McKay in hopes to recapture comedic and box office gold. Does Step Brothers succeed in that sense? Not really. But at least it doesn’t suck.
Brennan Huff (Ferrell) is a 40-year old who still lives at home with his single mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen). Dale Doback (Reilly) is a 40-year old who still lives at home with his single father, Robert (Richard Jenkins). Neither Brennan nor Dale are victims of circumstance or tragedy which have kept them home bound - they’re just 40-year old kids who have never matured nor moved out of the house. When Nancy and Robert meet at a work conference and are wed a short time later, the two families move in together and Brennan and Dale become stepbrothers. Except they hate each other. Death threats, physical assaults, and testicles being rubbed on personal possessions are all commonplace within the Huff-Doback home during the weeks following the wedding but Nancy and Robert are able to take it all (plus the brothers’ destructive sleepwalking) with a grain of salt.
Movie poster for \Tides change when the family is graced by a visit from Brennan’s younger, upper-middle class, self-absorbed, prick brother, Derek (Adam Scott) and his lethargic wife, Alice (Kathryn Hahn). Derek’s hyper success evokes dreams of grandeur in Robert and loathing from Brennan. Dale, too, can’t seem to stand Derek and after a little bit too much needling from the cocky business executive, Dale punches him out. This momentary showing of spine against a common enemy opens Brennan’s eyes to a new found respect for his stepbrother and the two quickly become best friends as they realize even more loves they share: velociraptors, John Stamos, Shark Week, and much more. Dale’s macho display even awakens a fire in the loins of Alice who has been sexually stymied in her relationship with Derek for years. But the childish antics of the brothers soon weigh heavily on the patience of Robert and his marriage to Nancy begins to suffer. With both their parents’ and subsequently their futures riding on Brennan and Dale’s shoulders, the brothers need to grow up and discard their juvenile ways before their lives and their family fall apart completely.
Don’t expect results right away because the film takes a good twenty, twenty-five minutes to really kick in with the laughs. Well, unless you’re a fan of two grown men screaming juvenile insults at each other sprinkled with sporadic “fucks,” then the laughs won’t really kick in for a good twenty, twenty-five minutes. However, if you are an avid fan of the previously mentioned comedy styling, then you’ll be ROTFLMFAO as they say in Internet speak. However, the chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly that was on full display in Talladega Nights doesn’t have a chance to coagulate until they team up. After that, it’s clear that in the writing and acting processes the two were free to feed off each other and improvise as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson did so successfully in Wedding Crashers. With talents of Ferrell and Reilly’s caliber, this free-range approach undoubtedly will conjure up some truly hilarious moments, such as their inept job interviews that they attend conjoined in tuxedos and sneakers. The last time these two teamed up (and as Ferrell has done in practically all his films) their characters were essentially big kids anyway. Why not just allow them to be what they enjoy being?
More often than not however, scenes are allowed to ramble on to flatter the duo, unfortunately at the expense of furthering the story - a story, I might add, that is perfectly predictable in almost every sense. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you enjoy the journey from point A to point B, but, once again, not even the reunion of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly can fully salvage a story that is mediocre in so many parts. However, whoever stumbled upon Kathryn Hahn and decided to cast her in this film should be given huge credit for releasing comedy’s best-kept secret. Hahn steals every scene she’s in with her hilariously awkward delivery of inappropriate lines, such as when she tells Dale after he punches out Derek that she’d like to “roll you up into a little ball and stuff you into my vagina” because “it’s warm up there.” It may sound crude just reading it, but she nails the sexually repressed housewife perfectly (and gets nailed in return). Adam Scott also excels as the perpetual frat guy who will always be calling for high fives and will always be receiving them from delightfully one-dimensional cat callers such as Randy (Rob Riggle).
While there are many laughs to be had the film lacks much of the charm of past Will Ferrell vehicles to be dubbed anything but just okay - there’s no “milk was a bad choice!” or “you’re crazy man. I love you but you’re crazy” to really separate it from the rest of the pack. There also is something to be said about a film where the supporting characters are more than not funnier than the lead characters. With movie tickets at the prices that they are, you’re best waiting for this one to come out on DVD. Or going to see The Dark Knight again.
Brennan Huff (Ferrell) is a 40-year old who still lives at home with his single mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen). Dale Doback (Reilly) is a 40-year old who still lives at home with his single father, Robert (Richard Jenkins). Neither Brennan nor Dale are victims of circumstance or tragedy which have kept them home bound - they’re just 40-year old kids who have never matured nor moved out of the house. When Nancy and Robert meet at a work conference and are wed a short time later, the two families move in together and Brennan and Dale become stepbrothers. Except they hate each other. Death threats, physical assaults, and testicles being rubbed on personal possessions are all commonplace within the Huff-Doback home during the weeks following the wedding but Nancy and Robert are able to take it all (plus the brothers’ destructive sleepwalking) with a grain of salt.
Movie poster for \Tides change when the family is graced by a visit from Brennan’s younger, upper-middle class, self-absorbed, prick brother, Derek (Adam Scott) and his lethargic wife, Alice (Kathryn Hahn). Derek’s hyper success evokes dreams of grandeur in Robert and loathing from Brennan. Dale, too, can’t seem to stand Derek and after a little bit too much needling from the cocky business executive, Dale punches him out. This momentary showing of spine against a common enemy opens Brennan’s eyes to a new found respect for his stepbrother and the two quickly become best friends as they realize even more loves they share: velociraptors, John Stamos, Shark Week, and much more. Dale’s macho display even awakens a fire in the loins of Alice who has been sexually stymied in her relationship with Derek for years. But the childish antics of the brothers soon weigh heavily on the patience of Robert and his marriage to Nancy begins to suffer. With both their parents’ and subsequently their futures riding on Brennan and Dale’s shoulders, the brothers need to grow up and discard their juvenile ways before their lives and their family fall apart completely.
Don’t expect results right away because the film takes a good twenty, twenty-five minutes to really kick in with the laughs. Well, unless you’re a fan of two grown men screaming juvenile insults at each other sprinkled with sporadic “fucks,” then the laughs won’t really kick in for a good twenty, twenty-five minutes. However, if you are an avid fan of the previously mentioned comedy styling, then you’ll be ROTFLMFAO as they say in Internet speak. However, the chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly that was on full display in Talladega Nights doesn’t have a chance to coagulate until they team up. After that, it’s clear that in the writing and acting processes the two were free to feed off each other and improvise as Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson did so successfully in Wedding Crashers. With talents of Ferrell and Reilly’s caliber, this free-range approach undoubtedly will conjure up some truly hilarious moments, such as their inept job interviews that they attend conjoined in tuxedos and sneakers. The last time these two teamed up (and as Ferrell has done in practically all his films) their characters were essentially big kids anyway. Why not just allow them to be what they enjoy being?
More often than not however, scenes are allowed to ramble on to flatter the duo, unfortunately at the expense of furthering the story - a story, I might add, that is perfectly predictable in almost every sense. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you enjoy the journey from point A to point B, but, once again, not even the reunion of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly can fully salvage a story that is mediocre in so many parts. However, whoever stumbled upon Kathryn Hahn and decided to cast her in this film should be given huge credit for releasing comedy’s best-kept secret. Hahn steals every scene she’s in with her hilariously awkward delivery of inappropriate lines, such as when she tells Dale after he punches out Derek that she’d like to “roll you up into a little ball and stuff you into my vagina” because “it’s warm up there.” It may sound crude just reading it, but she nails the sexually repressed housewife perfectly (and gets nailed in return). Adam Scott also excels as the perpetual frat guy who will always be calling for high fives and will always be receiving them from delightfully one-dimensional cat callers such as Randy (Rob Riggle).
While there are many laughs to be had the film lacks much of the charm of past Will Ferrell vehicles to be dubbed anything but just okay - there’s no “milk was a bad choice!” or “you’re crazy man. I love you but you’re crazy” to really separate it from the rest of the pack. There also is something to be said about a film where the supporting characters are more than not funnier than the lead characters. With movie tickets at the prices that they are, you’re best waiting for this one to come out on DVD. Or going to see The Dark Knight again.