We’re struggling with our review of “Role Models,” the new studio-picture directed by David Wain (“Wet Hot American Summer”) and starring Paul Rudd, Sean William Scott, Elizabeth Banks, Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin’), Sean William Scott and newcomer, Bobb’e J. Thompson.
We’re big fans of Wain, love the Rudd, think Banks is incredibly charming and underrated in all areas, not just comedy, but it’s just not something to really laud with much fervor. Yes, it’s a little charming and endearing and funny in spots, has a few LOLs and is semi-enjoyable. But is it good? Hmm, well, with basic mainstream comedies, you can’t really ask for style or technique and that’s fine, but ok, how about we rank it next to the Judd Apatow films? Well, then it really doesn’t stand much of a chance (if you want to gauge it next to similar comedies that are straight-forward and have a mixture of filth and heart.
The other thing troubling us is RottenTomatoes, that has given the film a surprisingly good 74% rating. Did most critics not turn up for their screenings? The film isn’t terrible, but that’s quite the disconcertingly high number for a film that’s harmless, but pretty average and unremarkable.
A real review gets into the what, why, where,who and how, but “Role Models” is so ultimately disposable, that it’s not really worth it. But we’ll give it a quick shot. Paul Rudd plays a miserablist who hates his life and is stuck in his menial, mindnumbing energy drink promotion job and to make matters worse, his co-worker (Sean William Scott) is a half-wit optimist who loves the dead end occupation. Rudd snaps at a high school presentation after his girlfriend (Banks) dumps him, tired of his misanthropy, and his emotional tantrum rampage gets he and Scott arrested.
They consult Banks (who’s conveniently a lawyer) and she pleas them down to community service at a Big Brothers-like school for troubled kids. Enter McLovin (who’s extremely wooden and dull) and Bobb’e J (who aside from Rudd and Banks, is the film’s saving comedic grace). Mintz-Plasse plays a shut-in live-action role playing (LARP) dungeons and dragons-like nerd and Thompson a vulgar, impossible hellion.
Do you need to see a road map of where this is going? Rudd and Scott finally warm up to their kids, help them out in their various personal obstacles (being ostracized because of nerdom for McLovin’, fatherly connection for Thompson) and Rudd wins back the girl, ta dah! There’s a big KISS tie-in at the end where the gang all enter into the LARP field and fight with the adult nerds in their role-playing game that tries to be sweet and tender, but mostly turns into sappy mush — it’s just the requisite PG moment of this R-Rated “raunch” comedy. But Apatow has a way of blending these tones seamlessly. “Role Models” hem is rather shoddily with obvious frays and poorly-constructed stitching that sticks out like a sore thumb.
It’s half amusing in spots, but overall, we would have been just as satisfied watching this one on the couch perhaps half-paying attention and surfing around the web. And perhaps more importantly, we’re shocked that some people would go to bat for this film with any kind of major vigor.
If we cared more, we’d hopefully be more articulate about it. The Times says it better and calls it, “the increasingly worn-out ‘boys will be babies until they are forced to grow up’ school of arrested-development comedies.”
More power to Wain for penetrating the studio system, they certainly didn’t clip his wings at all, but “Role Models” just isn’t up to snuff in the dick-jokes-with-heart genre.[C]