Role Models

'All the right ideas; all the wrong execution'. That's the feeling I was left with at the end of Role Models, a rather standard attempt at the American Comedy model that seems to have been so prevalent throughout 2008 and 2009. It's a shame because, after all, the ingredients seemed to be there: two fairly accomplished funny men (Rudd and Scott) take on two wild children (Mintz-Plasse and Thompson) as part of their community service, just as Danny (Paul Rudd) realises his life is falling apart and his girlfriend (the charmingly straight Elizabeth Banks) breaks up with him. So there's romantic potential there, but only as a bit of spice to the otherwise obvious comedy main serving. Paul Rudd even has a writing credit to his name. Surely the chap best known for his improvisation in making Anchorman will have comedy pouring out of his ears here.


But it falls flat. That's not to say it's not a funny film; it is. But it's funny at times when I didn't expect it to be funny. Similarly, at the times when the dialogue is at its quickest, it's not really funny at all. Quick banter can either thrill or chill, and sadly this was far more chilling than anything else. What should have been rapid fire amusement simply didn't work. Or was it well-written and badly delivered? I couldn't tell. I thought the idea was there; it just wasn't coming out. Some of the lines in themselves seemed like they could be funny if they just weren't so darn flat. But maybe Rudd and Scott were going for flat delivery, as they were meant to be hardened jokesters who no longer found themselves amusing. I don't know. The confusion didn't add to my enjoyment.


But there was humour in the strangest of places too. Augie's (Mintz-Plasse) final showdown was particularly memorable. The set-up for the final Kiss joke was also highly amusing. In that respect Role Models managed something nearly reminiscent of Hot Fuzz, that most excellent foreshadowing of a later comic twist. But regrettably even live action roleplay and plastic sword battles, all in Kiss gear, couldn't really redeem a film in which I'd ceased to care much about the characters, beyond wondering when they'd start to be truly funny and not just try at being so. A shame, all in all.


~~~
2008


Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bobb'e J. Thompson


dir. David Wain