Not a Model Comedy
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From the trailer, Role Models has the look of a Judd Apatow joint, but it isn’t. It’s him only by the transitive property of Paul Rudd - one of the flick’s several writers and been in enough of the funniest comedies of recent years to try to launch himself as a lead. Like Seth Rogan and Jason Segel, it’s finally Rudd’s turn - which I called five months ago - and he does deliver … Mostly.
Rudd’s common character is often the cynically depressed smart ass, as he was in 40 Year Old Virgin. He does break the mold at times, like his stoned surf instructor in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but for this he goes back to his base. Thirty something stuck in a rut job and rejected by a girl, this time Liz “I’m trying to max out my exposure” Banks - which is a step up from Mindy Kaling. I’m not a Hindu hater but that’s the sexiest pic I found of her. At least she’s not Sandra Oh. It’s like someone Silly Puttied Michelle Yeoh’s face then stretching it over a football.
Anyway, this crisis spurs Paul to cause an incident that drags in his stupid horn dog boy Wheeler, played by Sean Scott - remember I don’t do the middle names, no William, he’s fuck’in Stiffler! The two are sentenced to community service with a kid’s organization or face ass-rape jail. At this point does jail have to be qualified as “butt-pounding”. Oz went off the air five years ago. Scared Straight was twenty-five years ago. We get it: don‘t go to jail unless you‘re REALLY a sick blood lusting bastard or Wesley Snipes.
Rudd is matched up with an uber nerd costumed LARPer (live action role player, the step siblings of respectable basement gamers) played by Chris Plasse (McLovin) and Scott with the anti-Garry Coleman Ronnie portrayed well by Bobb‘e Thompson (not a misspelling, he‘s Black). Paul and Plasse have a more realistic developing friendship. The adult teaching the kid to be more outgoing and the kid showing the cynic how to let go of his bitterness. Most of the comedy rests on Scott and Thompson. The boy does violent pranks and white teasing as a tough kid façade, while butt of the joke Scott swears at him until they bond over their objectification of women.
This is the charm of Role Models, these grown up kids are able to bond with these youngsters with issues over their own arrested development - and in doing so become more adult. Starts off as a slacker comedy but develops an actual morale to the story that you don‘t expect. This is a hallmark of Apatow’s flicks and is good to see Rudd adopting this.
Something that was attempted but failed was the super funny support cast. There’s no circle of ridiculously unique characters. Plasse’ parents are Ken Marino (co-writer) and Kerri Kenny from Reno 911, both actors from The State - genius sketch comedy show from the 90’s. They came of funny but could have done more. Jane Lynch plays the recovering addict head role model in charge of the program that mixes metaphors between child psych and Twelve Step in a funny way but not so much. The story climax has the whole gang dressed as a KISS-themed warrior band in a great LARP battle, so geek points are definitely scored for painting role-playing in a cool light and everyone ends up better than they started for the experience.
Not quite enough boobs for all the boobie talk though.
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