Director: Nicholas Stoller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Colm Meany, Elizabeth Moss, Sean Combs, aka P Diddy, aka Puff Daddy, aka swimming in women with their own condominiums, five plus five....
Plot? - Wanna be record exec Aaron Greene (Jonah Hill) must get professional drug addict and part time rock god Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles so he can save the record business by melting faces. Audiences will know Snow from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" where he played the same role and dominated the movie.
Reminds You Of? - It's kind of like "Spinal Tap" because it's a satire of the rock and roll mythos, but by that reasoning it has a dash of "Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny" as well. And there are the usual Apatowian (he's the producer) 20 something males who are searching for love, romance, and meaning in life, so by that reasoning it's a lot like "Knocked Up" and "Superbad."
Ass Kicking Factor (AKF) - There is some mild level debauchery, but most of the ass kicking here involves the pretty solid musical performances that Brand puts on with his band "Infant Sorrow." The album is available to buy and I gotta say the songs are pretty damn catchy, dare I say even rocking. I'm listening to them right now and I'm into it.
Oh Shit Moments (OSM) - This is a comedy, it's not like there are Iron Men battling it out in every frame, but there are some funny moments here that really had the audience rolling. A segment in Vegas involving a specific type of joint is particularly funny and would technically qualify as a oh shit moment.
Memorable Dialogue - While there isn't anything as simple as the classic Forgetting Sarah Marshall line "oh that's my driver I'm going to go have sex with her," there are some classic lines here. Also the movie scores some points for having some great music industry related jokes. Ozzy, Miley, Mick, and even The Mars Volta aren't spared from the sharp comedic barbs
TPG Truth Drop -The strength of this film is in the actors; Brand, Hill, and Diddy all are working overtime and killing it. The problem lies with the story, I'm not sure if it's the script, the producer, or the director but there are many elements in the film that don't deliver. In fact, Aldous, the core of the film has plotlines involving his broken family life with his parents, son, and estranged wife that have no emotional payoff. This lack of emotional resolve left me feeling cheated and empty, which is crazy because all the other Apatow movies deliver this cheesy heartfelt ending so well. I find myself wondering if a different cut of the film exists in a place where these storylines are resolved. That's the film I want to see.
Solid laughs all around, but I'm still banking on "The Other Guys" to be the comedic film to beat this summer.
