Get Him to the Greek

Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs, Elisabeth Moss, Colm Meaney, Aziz Ansari, Kristen Bell (cameo)
Directed by: Nicholas Stoller
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A record company employee (Jonah Hill) is tasked with traveling to Europe to bring famous rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) back to the Greek Theatre for a 10 year anniversary concert.

Review:

Tim: I think too few movies create spin-offs. In theory, I like the idea of the movie spin-off. If you liked the characters of one film, why not give some of the supporting characters their own film? It seems like it would work. That being said, I wasn't overly excited about seeing a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I thought that movie was surprisingly funny, but I wasn't convinced Aldous Snow needed his own movie. However, that's what we got here. And, I feel safe saying that while not as good as the original film, Get Him to the Greek is a pretty funny comedy.

The reason this movie works is really the performance of its two leads. Jonah Hill does a good job as Aaron Green. I thought it was weird he played two different characters in these two films, but I can let that pass. Hill has such a great everyman quality, that it is hard not to root for him. His comedic timing is impressive, and he works well here. I will just mention that he looks huge in this film, and I'm a bit worried about his health. He is clearly a talented young actor, and I hope he's around for a long, long time.

While Hill is good, Russell Brand really steals the show. He is terrific as Aldous Snow. He's exactly what you would expect from a British rock star, and he utters some truly hilarious lines. I really enjoyed his performance and the complexity he brought to it. Brand and Hill work well together, and it is their relationship that makes the entire film work.

The supporting cast is good, too. I really enjoyed Rose Byrne as Snow's ex-girlfriend. She is a a talented actress and too underutilized in Hollywood. Elisabeth Moss was decent as Hill's girlfriend. I really enjoyed Sean 'P.Diddy' Combs as the record company executive. It was the right role for him, and he really embraced his comedic side. He generated quite a few laughs. I also enjoyed seeing Colm Meaney, and I appreciated that Kristen Bell gave us a quick Sarah Marshall cameo.

The reason I enjoyed this film is that it managed to be funny while not following those same, tired roads. The story was a bit unique and it had a good bit of heart. While more comedies fail than succeed, this movie proves that they aren't necessarily that hard. You simply need to start with the characters, write a unique story, and infuse it with some very funny jokes. Okay, maybe it is a bit difficult. This film does occasionally stray into the been-there territory, and some of the jokes are designed purely for gross-out humor. However, for the most part, it succeeds. Unfortunately, the movie also loses its way a bit after the first 2/3 before righting itself for the conclusion.

I was really surprised how much I liked Forgetting Sarah Marshall. That movie was funny, and it had some real heart. Get Him to the Greek doesn't quite live up to that standard, but it does get far closer than I would have expected. This isn't a revolutionary comedy, but it is an entertaining film. I enjoyed it, and while not an instant classic, it is a good comedy.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Bedtime Stories, Superbad