Step Brothers

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Adam Scott, Seth Rogen
Directed by: Adam McKay
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2008

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Two 40-year-old men (Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly) living at home become step brothers when their parents (Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins) fall in love and get married.

Review:

Tim: I wanted to like this movie, but Will Ferrell really needs to have a hit. His comedic genius was never better in Anchorman, but since then, it has steadily declined. This movie should have been incredibly funny, but the laughs are too few and far between. There is something to be said about a crude, juvenile movie, and I enjoy laughing at stupid humor. However, much of this movie was just so dumb that I could barely tolerate it.

The movie's premise is brilliant. I love the pairing of Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as two grown men who reluctantly become step brothers. This creates some very funny scenes- the bunk beds, the burying scene, the job interviews, etc. The dialogue between Ferrell and Reilly is oftentimes great. There are some decently funny lines- "As soon as your eyes are closed, I'm going to punch you square in the face." and "What are you doing? I'm burying you." However, these lines come in the midst of many stupid ones. That is a perfect synopsis for most of the movie- some great scenes that come in between some very unfunny ones. When you add up the good and the bad, the bad far outweighs the good. I know I am pretty hard on this movie, but I can't help being bitter at what could have been the funniest movie of the last five years. Instead, it is another underachieving effort by Ferrell.

I did enjoy the supporting cast. Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins were both perfectly cast, and I liked both of them in their roles. I was also glad to see Seth Rogen in a very small but funny role. Director Adam McKay usually does a good job assembling strong casts, and that is true again here.

Step Brothers definitely has some funny moments. However, I just can't like this movie. There were far too many stretches of time where the jokes fail, and Ferrell and Reilly just look like idiots. I was always going to see this movie, because I'll watch any and every comedy Will Ferrell makes. However, my expectations for those future movies have been lowered by this one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Semi-Pro, Blades of Glory