Movie Review - “Step Brothers”
** 1/2 STARS
This summer has really been hurting for a smart adult comedy with some fresh crude jokes and crackling wit. Even though this movie comes from some of the guys that brought us “Knocked Up” and “Super Bad” this movie is nowhere near as shrewd or brilliantly ribald as those comedies. What “Step Brothers” is though is a ridiculously over the top laugh filled comedy with SOME hilarious moments.
The small running time of “Step Brothers” saves this film from becoming irritating or grating on the nerves. Enough slapstick mayhem and f-words are peppered throughout the 1 hour and 45 minute running time to make this film feel fresh and not rehashed. The chemistry between John C. Riley and Will Farrell as a dysfunctional step brother team is pretty inspired; it is obvious they had a blast fucking with each other and adlibbing lines. Watching them try to kill eachother and then suddenly bond like ten year old boys is pretty hilarious and ridiculous at the same time.
This film isn’t a classic by any means, some jokes do fall flat and like I said earlier the plot tends to meander but the small length of this film made it an amusing trip to the movie theater. Now that I have seen this film (and most of the other 2008 summer blockbusters) I can safely say that either “Tropic Thunder” or “Pineapple Express” have the potential to be just as smart and crude as “40 Year Old Virgin” or “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”. Unfortunately “Step Brothers” isn’t as good as “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”, Riley’s best comedy, or “Old School”, Farrell’s best, but it is a worthy addition to your Will Farrell DVD collection or rental.
Leave a Reply