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Friday, January 25, 2013

   

Step Brothers 


106 minutes, Rated R
Comedies have progressed over the years, going from random funny scenes all tying together by an almost pointless plot, to incredibly elaborate story lines where the humor is strategically placed.  Step Brothers, written and directed by Adam McKay is stuck somewhere in between. 
     Brennan (Will Ferrell) and Dale (John C. Reilly) are both 40-year-olds who have refused to hleave or get real jobs, preferring to mooch off their indulgent parents.  When Brennan's mom (Mary Steenburgen and Dale's dad (Richard Jenkins) tie the know, the tow are forced to shar a room, dealing with it about as well as real 12-year-olds would.  Just as Dale and Brennan finally become friends, thanks to a shared loathing for Brennan's younger brother Derek (Adam Scott) and the local kids who think they're both losers, they're faced with adult life when their parents announce their retirement.  They organize a band in their attempt to handle the future, but they do it about as well as you would expect from two guys who treasure their samurai swords and do karate in the garage. 
     However, the plot of Step Brothers is more irrelevant than it is in most comedies but thats not really a bad thing.  Just as some of the Saturday Night Live skits did, Ferrell, Reilly and McKay have made a character-driven comedy in which no one really needs to grow or develop in order to be interesting. Unlike counless SNL spinoff movies though, the technique actually works here.
     Step Brothers throws a handful of interesting characters into situations and steps back to see what happens.  There are moments when the prospect of watching two grown men act like spiteful adolescents for 106 minutes seems a big ask, but despite some obvious flaws, Step Brothers remains a hugely enjoyable, well constructed slice of Saturday night entertainment, leaving Ferrell's position as one of the reigning kings of comedy secure for a while longer.  
    


http://www.amazon.com/Step-Brothers-Single-Disc-Unrated-Edition/dp/B001G5T6GW
you can purchase the movie here. 
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3 comments:

  1. Bhavin PatelJanuary 25, 2013 at 8:44 AM

    I'd have to say, Step Brothers is one of my personal favorites when it comes to comedy movies. I do agree with you when it comes to the fact that the plot was not as developed as it could have been, but overall I feel like that just plays into the whole theme of the movie, which is just two hours of pure humor.

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  2. UnknownJanuary 25, 2013 at 9:18 AM

    Suuuuuuch a clasic! I like how in this movie, in comparison to a lot of other comedy movies of this decade, it's not allllll about inappropriate humor. There definitely is some (the drum set scene comes to mind of course) but even that; it's not as inappropriate as much of the humor that's in movies nowadays. I think that's what is going to make this turn into a classic.

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  3. UnknownJanuary 25, 2013 at 11:59 AM

    I feel like Will Ferrell is one of the few comedic actors that doesn't need to bring out the vulgar jokes. He's just a naturally funny guy, and Step Brothers, along with Talladega Nights, and Blades of Glory really shows that Ferrell is an actor everyone can love.

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