Summer Movie Smackdown: Get Him To The Greek

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

MOM Factor - A little too crude, but my Mom thought "Beavis and Butthead Do America" was the funniest thing ever, so who knows, hard to tell with comedies.

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. 

Funny People (Who Know How To Act)

Anybody who can plot to destroy the galaxy and completely redefine their onscreen identity in one summer deserves just a little bit of praise. Eric Bana is that dude, fresh off his turn as the Romulan destroyer Nero in Star Trek, he returns to the screen, this time as an dangerous Aussie husband to the girl of Adam Sandler's dreams. His performance is hilarious, emotional, and the best part of the very good "Funny People."

By now everyone knows the story. Adam Sandler plays a comedian who's dying, and he hires struggling comic Seth Rogen to be his assistant. What does he assist with? Writing jokes, fixing TVs, and guiding him in his attempts to woo back his lost love Leslie Mann. The story here is well paced and for a two and a half hour film, it never once drags. But what else do you expect from Mr. Apatow?

Ah, the venerable Mr. Apatow, Chief Brah of bromance domain, leader of the comedy world, and the role model for every comedy inspired dreamer. From the kid on stage at summer camp to the dude burning j's writing in jokes in his parent basement they all wanna be him. Here Mr. Apatow goes someplace where he has only dabbled before: some very real emotions.

Losing your virginity, unplanned pregnancy all seem pretty minor in the face of death, aka the scary dude with the scythe knocking at your door. Unlike the other films (Knocked Up, 40 Year Old Virgin) this one feels like a serious movie with jokes, as in, the other ones felt like comedies with serious scenes. So watching it I wonder, what kind of film does Mr. A (sounds cooler doesn't it) make from here. It's almost as if he's diluting an amazing story with dick jokes as some type of cushion for the audience and himself. With this film he proves that he can deliver the hard drama goods, now let's see him tackle a film about real people and issues, who may or may not be funny.