Spring Break
'Models' serves up style
Sean Smith
Issue date: 11/7/08 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Over the past few years, the face of the comedy genre has dramatically changed largely due to individuals such as Judd Apatow, Seth Roegan and Will Ferrell.
These particular film giants have helped bring back the R-rated comedy by creating intelligent and thoughtful stories while still holding on to that edge that is irresistible to audiences across America. After changing creative hands, going through multiple rewrites and being caught in preproduction for quite a long time, "Role Models," directed by "Wet Hot American Summer's" David Wain, becomes the latest in the series of this style - and may quite possibly be the most dead on.
"Role Models" follows Danny Donahue (Paul Rudd) and Fitzpatrick Wheeler (Seann William Scott) as two company spokesman that spend their days at schools telling kids to stay off of drugs and drink Minotaur energy drinks instead. After the two are involved in an auto accident with the company's monster truck, Danny and Wheeler find themselves in a legal predicament: spend 30 days in jail or do 150 hours of community service with Sturdy Wings - a big brother-style program. The duo obviously chooses the latter.
Surrounded by annoying do-gooders, Danny struggles with his every neurotic impulse to guide Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) through the trials of becoming a man. Unfortunately, the guy just dumped by his girlfriend, Beth (Elizabeth Banks), has only sarcasm to offer a bashful 16-year-old obsessed with medieval role-play or as it has become to be known, LARP (Live Action Role Playing).
Meanwhile, charming Wheeler tries to trade in an addiction to partying and women to assist a fifth-grader named Ronnie (newcomer Bobb'e J. Thompson) in redirecting his foul-mouthed ways. It would probably help if Ronnie's new mentor wasn't an overgrown adolescent whose idea of quality time includes keggers in Venice Beach.
At first, neither Danny nor Wheeler really want anything to do with their "littles," but as the movie progresses, the two pairs start getting close and begin teaching each other lessons in life. After a series of mishaps including a camping trip gone terribly wrong, Danny and Wheeler's odd relationship with Sturdy Wings director Gail Sweeney (a brilliant performance by Jane Lynch), and various other bits of hilarity, the movie culminates with a giant battle scene (of the role playing variety), which makes one believe that it could possibly be fun to pretend to be alive in medieval times.
These particular film giants have helped bring back the R-rated comedy by creating intelligent and thoughtful stories while still holding on to that edge that is irresistible to audiences across America. After changing creative hands, going through multiple rewrites and being caught in preproduction for quite a long time, "Role Models," directed by "Wet Hot American Summer's" David Wain, becomes the latest in the series of this style - and may quite possibly be the most dead on.
"Role Models" follows Danny Donahue (Paul Rudd) and Fitzpatrick Wheeler (Seann William Scott) as two company spokesman that spend their days at schools telling kids to stay off of drugs and drink Minotaur energy drinks instead. After the two are involved in an auto accident with the company's monster truck, Danny and Wheeler find themselves in a legal predicament: spend 30 days in jail or do 150 hours of community service with Sturdy Wings - a big brother-style program. The duo obviously chooses the latter.
Surrounded by annoying do-gooders, Danny struggles with his every neurotic impulse to guide Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) through the trials of becoming a man. Unfortunately, the guy just dumped by his girlfriend, Beth (Elizabeth Banks), has only sarcasm to offer a bashful 16-year-old obsessed with medieval role-play or as it has become to be known, LARP (Live Action Role Playing).
Meanwhile, charming Wheeler tries to trade in an addiction to partying and women to assist a fifth-grader named Ronnie (newcomer Bobb'e J. Thompson) in redirecting his foul-mouthed ways. It would probably help if Ronnie's new mentor wasn't an overgrown adolescent whose idea of quality time includes keggers in Venice Beach.
At first, neither Danny nor Wheeler really want anything to do with their "littles," but as the movie progresses, the two pairs start getting close and begin teaching each other lessons in life. After a series of mishaps including a camping trip gone terribly wrong, Danny and Wheeler's odd relationship with Sturdy Wings director Gail Sweeney (a brilliant performance by Jane Lynch), and various other bits of hilarity, the movie culminates with a giant battle scene (of the role playing variety), which makes one believe that it could possibly be fun to pretend to be alive in medieval times.
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