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Year Released: 2008
Directed by: David Wain
Starring: Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse
Production Company: Universal Pictures
Release Date: Nov 7, 2008
Gross out humor, front man Paul Rudd, caustically straight and funny Jane Lynch, a plot that is absolutely over the top and chock full of four-letter obscenities spewed from a ten year old. You had me at Paul Rudd. Not to say that Role Models is only these things, it has great chemistry between the two leading men; William Scott and Rudd are absolutely a blast to watch bicker and fight, and they give each scene an improv-like quality that never distracts from the final product. The message at the end is also one that we can all appreciate, considering there’s so much pressure today to conform to the masses. You can rest easy knowing the crude jokes are funny and hip; and everyone can agree on that.
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| The AA group keeps getting younger |
Rudd and Seann William Scott are Danny and Wheeler, Minotaur energy drink salesmen doing their pitch to high schools across the city. Danny’s in a rut, his negativity finally catching up to him when he crashes the Minotaur-mobile due to his girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) breaking up over his last minute wedding proposal. Rather than do jail time, the two are given the option to complete 150 hours of community service at a Big Brother link organization called ‘Sturdy Wings’. The organization is run by ex-junkie Gayle (Jane Lynch), who’s full on seen-it-all and done-it-all-attitude gets half the laughs it vies for. The teens put in the care of Danny and Wheeler two extremes: Augie (Superbad’s Christopher Mintz-Plasse), the awkward older teenager who would rather practice LARP (Live Action Role Playing) than deal with the real world, and Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson) the pint sized thug with a mouth that Andrew Dice Clay would be proud of.
The movie smoothly runs along as expected; the guys learn about responsibility and the boys get the attention and acceptance they’ve been long looking for. The laughs along the way are well deserved, the situations and support characters are hiliarious (check out Ken Jeong as the ‘King’).
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| “Who is that horny bastard behind me?” |
Role models is sweet in a macho way, it never once stops to wipe it’s tears and a kick to the groin over sentimentality. The characters all connect and the message is something we all need: you don’t have to change to earn someone’s else’s approval. The good natured spirit and fun of the film was unexpected to me, and it was enjoyable from start to finish. If you want a feel good flick that has solid laughs and lots of cussing from a kid, check out Role Models.
8.0 out of 10