Review: Role Models

Paul Rudd (a glum, cynical type) and Seann William Scott (a Seann William Scott type) are a couple of ne’er-do-wells who get into serious trouble when on one of their usual trips to schools promoting a crappy energy drink called Minotaur. Rudd, depressed after his cynicism causes his relationship with lawyer Elizabeth Banks to end, pretty much goes postal their latest promotional visit, resulting in he and Scott being thrown in jail. Facing jail time, they are thrown a life-line; volunteering at Sturdy Wings, a group that matches emotionally needy/troubled kids with adult ‘mentors’. It’s a place run by a sarcastic, possibly insane former drug addict Gayle Sweeney (Jane Lynch), who seems to forget her point about halfway through a sentence but keeps on going anyway. Scott is paired up with a foul-mouthed, breast-obsessed 10 year-old (Bobb’e J. Thompson), whilst the cynical Rudd is paired with uber-geek Christopher Mintz-Plasse, who likes to escape in a world of Live Action Role Playing games, specifically the medieval-set Laire. Ken Marino and Kerri Kenney-Silver play Mintz-Plasse’s completely unsupportive, ignorant parents, whilst Ken Jeong turns up as a snotty ‘king’ in the Laire game.

I didn’t have very high hopes for this 2008 David Wain (the uneven “Wet Hot American Summer”) comedy. I figured it would get too schmaltzy (as films with similar storylines tend to, like “Bustin’ Loose”), and I didn’t even laugh too much at the trailer. The film’s tedious opening moments (Rudd’s coffee shop meltdown might’ve been funny to some, but this non-coffee drinker didn’t even get the joke. I’ve never heard of ‘venti’) didn’t make me think that my suspicions were going to be unwarranted, as indeed Scott, and especially the glum Rudd were not pleasant company to be around. Well thank god for an excellent supporting cast then (who bring out the best moments in the two leads, especially Thompson), because after this dull beginning, this film ended up being pretty darn funny, and hey, I even bought into its schmaltzy message at the end of the day. Lynch’s bizarro schtick goes so amusingly overboard and bizarre that it reaches incredible heights (A former drug addict, she almost seems proud and dismissive at the same time. When she tells Scott and Rudd ‘Why don't you lay out two lines of your selfishness, which is your blow, draw the shades, take the phone off the hook, grab a straw, and snort!’ one has to wonder if it’s just her schtick or if she’s subliminally jonesing for some drugs!), whilst Thompson proves that swearing kids are just plain freakin’ funny (sorry, but they are!). His monologue about boobies (the least profane thing in the film, likely) still has me chortling right now. And his role manages to be serious and funny at the same time. For instance, when he accuses Scott of molesting him (‘Honky wanted a fistful of my balls!’) he’s not just providing an hysterically funny (and oh, so wrong!) moment, but the kid really does have trust issues with adult figures. Mintz-Plasse (Forever going to be McLovin to you and me) steals the show though, and is the heart of the film. He’s likeable, funny, and y’know what? This film’s right, there’s a lot weirder and more harmful obsessions out there than Live Action Role Playing games. Only Banks really misses out as the ‘girl’ and the ‘lawyer’, two functionary parts rolled into one, and not terribly funny.

Overall, this one snuck up on me, it’s often genuinely funny, though it helps if you’re not a prude. Scripted by Rudd, Marino (both of whom were in “Wet Hot American Summer”), Wain, and Timothy Dowling, I actually had a pretty good time here, which I hadn’t expected going in.

Rating: B-