When he created “The 40 Year- Old- Virgin” and “Knocked Up,” director Judd Apatow demonstrated the blockbuster potential of the bromantic comedy. With its crossover appeal to both men and women, this increasingly popular subgenre has proven to be both funny and touching when done correctly. Unfortunately, Apatow has no hand in “Role Models,” and although the film features many of his regular actors, the final product is a dull and heartless disaster that will appeal to very few audience members regardless of their gender.
It has been more than seven years since director/writer David Wain (“The Ten”) released the cult classic “Wet Hot American Summer,” and, yet, he has still has been without any noteworthy success on the big screen. In his latest work, Wain still appears out of form as he creates delivers a screenplay that is saturated with tedious, raunchy jokes and lacking in heart and genuine emotion.
Danny Donahue (Paul Rudd, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) is a cynical energy drink salesman who just got dumped by his girlfriend Beth (a terribly underutilized Elizabeth Banks, “Zack and Miri Make a Porno”). Danny responds, much to the dismay of his womanizing friend partner Wheeler (Seann William Scott, “American Pie”), by trashing the company’s Minotaur-themed truck. When faced with either going to jail or volunteering at a local mentoring program, Danny and Wheeler make their way to Sturdy Wings, where they become role models to geeky, organized medieval role-player Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, “Superbad”) and foulmouthed, problem child Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson, “Fred Claus”).
One of Wain’s biggest mistakes when creating this film was the decisions he made in choosing what comedic elements to focus on. It is bad enough that the film often returns to the same sources for humor, but what is even worse is the fact that these sources were not even funny the first time around. One prominent example of this is the Sturdy Wings ex-con director Gayle Sweeney (Jane Lynch, “The Rocker”). Every time the woman speaks, it’s the same ego trip about how she used to overdose on drugs. Her character is entirely based around on the idea that it is hilarious to watch a woman flail her arms around and repeat the word “BS” — never bullshit — numerous times when, in reality, it is just downright annoying the first time and increasingly upsetting every other time after.
Not to completely discredit Wain’s decision-making, though; he does choose to spend a considerable amount of time on the film’s strongest aspect — organized medieval role-play. There is nothing funnier than watching a bunch of people running around with cardboard swords and wailing on each other, especially when one of them is Superbad’s McLovin. Not only does Mintz-Plasse do an excellent job of making this super-dweeb performance not seem like a carbon copy of his portrayal in “Superbad,” but he plays his role with such conviction that you cannot help but laugh and cheer at every glorious minute of his valiant sword fighting.
Things only get better, though, when Danny, Wheeler and their little buddies head out for the final battle against King Argotron, played by the hilariously neurotic Ken Jeong (the crazy gynecologist in “Knocked Up”), donning vestments akin to a particular late-’70s rock band.
Where this film really goes downhill, though, is in its attempt to have an emotional side. The chemistry between Danny and Beth is nonexistent, and by the end of the movie you find yourself not really caring all that much whether the two end up together or not. This is mostly due to the fact that Danny’s supposed transformation from being a self-indulged jerk to an all-around good guy seems forced and unbelievable.
Although Rudd has turned in countless stellar supporting performances over the years, he once again is unable to shine in the starring role. However, as was the case in Rudd’s only other recent leading role (the ghastly “Over Her Dead Body”), the blame lies mostly on the film’s material not being able to efficiently utilize his well-known deadpan sarcasm.
However, the fact that this is actually Scott’s best film since the “American Pie” trilogy says a lot about the kind of movies he has been in lately. In the film, he does little but play the same Stifler character that made him famous, and although he can be pretty hilarious at times, the boob jokes and sexual innuendos grow old fast.
In the end, “Role Models” is the exact opposite of what the name would imply as — it is a film no director should look up to when trying to create an enjoyable bromantic comedy.
2 stars out of 5
