Pop Culture Buzz

(IN THEATERS NOVEMBER 2008)

*** STARS

Paul Rudd is a great American treasure. He is an actor who doesn’t get enough credit for charming the socks off of movie fans. He deserves a vehicle that will showcase his charisma and dashing good looks, and even though I liked this film, this is not the big role he deserves. Sure the plot in “Role Models” is simple and it has more in common with a TV sitcom, but it actually has some real moments and true to life jokes making the whole film enjoyable and pretty refreshing. I will admit that this movie is by no means Oscar worthy and a lot of people will think it is formulaic; I actually was won over by its side splitting jokes and visual humor.

Sean William Scott isn’t breaking any new ground in this latest role which he plays just like another “Stifler” type character (from the “American Pie” series). He has some great comedic moments, one including an Ambien induced sleep walk that had me in stitches. My partner and I noticed that this was the first such joke we had ever heard in mainstream pop culture and laughed at how dead on it was. An extra bonus was seeing Scott nude in this scene, it is worth the price of admission alone if he is your idea of “hot”.

“Role Models” reminded me of another comedy surprise from earlier in the summer called “Baby Mama” starring Tina Fey. Just like that surprisingly sweet film this movie is able to mix crass potty humor with smart real to life dialog that is comforting and hilarious at the same time. Sean William Scott and Paul Rudd make a great comedic duo bouncing off each other with finely tuned physical humor and side splitting improvisation. Both of these actors have been in some of the best comedies ever put to film (”Clueless” and “American Pie”) and they feel right at ease shocking the audience as well as making them like their goofball characters.

The writer and director David Wain has a knack for making oddball cute little comedies like “Wet Hot American Summer” and “The Ten”, and this movie is a fun addition to his dorky humorous filmography. His TV project “The State” gave birth to Amy Poehler so you this guy has an eye for laughs and subversive. This movie won’t receive the huge accolades that a huge film like “Tropic Thunder” does but it has more heart and genuine laughs than most big comedies put out today.