CEDAR RAPIDS DVD (2011)

SYNOPSIS: The funniest business trip of all time gets even crazier with the Super-Awesome Edition of Cedar Rapids — more hysterical footage, more outrageous shenanigans and more two-diamond fun! Ed Helms (The Hangover 1 & 2) and John C. Reilly (Step Brothers) lead an all-star cast in the comedy that shows what can happen...when insurance agents go wild! Shy and naive Tim Lippe (Helms) ventures to the “big city” of Cedar Rapids for a convention and ends up crossing paths with the ultimate party animal (Reilly). Before long, Tim is crashing parties, skinny-dipping in the hotel pool and being seduced by a sexy soccer mom. And if Tim can survive the weekend, he might just change his life forever!

MOVIE REVIEW:

Is the face on the DVD cover the same guy who has a missing tooth in “The Hangover”?

Yup no doubt about it, he is Ed Helms if you still can’t remember his name. With the huge success of “The Hangover”, “The Office” regular has been in much demand and here he is, starring and producing this indie comedy which received a limited release in the States earlier in the year.

Helms plays Tim Lippe, an insurance agent who came from a small town in Wisconsin. Naïve might be too strong a word to describe the man who has never left his hometown, a place where everybody knows everyone. Yet when Lippe is assigned by his boss to Cedar Rapids over the weekend to attend an insurance convention, he finds out that the real world isn’t what he perceived it to be. 

“Cedar Rapids” plays out like a little dark comedy without much ambition to gross out its audiences despite the raunchy-filled dialogue. The script by newcomer Phil Johnston is both modest and bittersweet at the same time and most importantly it’s an endearing tale of four underdogs namely Lippe, the foul-mouthed Dean (John C. Reilly), Fox (Anne Heche) and Ronald (Isiah Whitlock Jr). 

With a story that spanned over a short weekend, director Miguel Arteta (Youth In Revolt) and Johnston did a marvellous job bonding their onscreen characters and establishing clear-cut characteristics for each of them. John C. Reilly especially stood out as a sentimental guy with a dirty mouth. His impromptu one-liners probably makes you chuckle out loud throughout. Troubled actress Anne Heche who has not been in the limelight for years turns in a compelling performance as an open-minded woman looking for a fling. Isiah Whitlock Jr from Law & Order is excellent as the prim-and-proper Ronald.

Of course, “Cedar Rapids” can’t really work without Ed Helms in the leading man role though Helms basically reprises his Dr Stu character from the “The Hangover” series. Lippe and Dr Stu are kind, innocent souls who unwittingly find themselves in absurd situations one after another. Still, Helms left a lasting impression especially with his character’s break-up scene with his primary school teacher, Macy (played by Sigourney Weaver in yet another bit role). Don’t ask why his romantic interest is a woman that is old enough to be his mum.

Except for a drug house scene towards the end that goes a bit flat and a no-frills production setup, “Cedar Rapids” is a little gem that is worth visiting if you are tired of the current wave of big-budgeted crude comedies playing on the big screen.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

There are six short Deleted Scenes and a four minutes Gag Reel that is pretty funny as well.

For that few seconds of onscreen performance, actor Mike O’Malley has to undergo clogging training as seen in this Mike O’Malley – Urban Clogging featurette.

Tweaking in the USA is a six minutes making-of feature that touches on the drug house scene.

Wedding Belles – Crashing a Lesbian Wedding discusses the costumes design and behind the shooting of the lesbian wedding sequence.

Top Notch Commercial is a fake but hilarious insurance commercial featuring Tim Lippe of course.

A Theatrical Trailer round up the disc extras.

AUDIO/VISUAL:

“Cedar Rapids” is a dialogue heavy movie and the Dolby Digital 5.1 purely acts for the occasional ambience sound effects. Picture quality is excellent with no noticeable artefacts.

MOVIE RATING:

DVD RATING :

Review by Linus Tee