Genre: Comedy
Director: David Wain
Cast: Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, Bobb'e J.Thompson, Elizabeth Banks
RunTime: 1 hr 39 mins
Released By: UIP
Rating: NC-16 (Sexual References & Coarse Language)
Official Website: http://www.rolemodelsmovie.com/

Opening Day: 26 February 2009

Synopsis:

Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott star in "Role Models" as Danny and Wheeler, two salesmen who trash a company truck on an energy drink-fueled bender. Upon their arrest, the court gives them a choice: do hard time or spend 150 service hours with a mentorship program. After one day with the kids, however, jail doesn't look half bad.

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 (Elizabeth Banks) has only sarcasm to offer a bashful 16-year-old obsessed with medieval role play.

Meanwhile, charming Wheeler tries to trade in an addiction to partying and women to assist a fifth-grader named Ronnie (Bobb'e J. Thompson) redirect 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.

Once the center's ex-con director (Jane Lynch) gives them an ultimatum, Danny and Wheeler are forced to tailor their brand of immature wisdom to their charges. And if they can just make it through probation without getting thrown in jail, the world's worst role models will prove that, sometimes, it takes a village idiot to raise a child.

Movie Review:

Life isn’t always about gay political movements, down and out wrestlers, college widower professors who find new meanings in life, disgraced former presidents, pretty looking men who grow old by getting younger, and all other things depressing. Sometimes, it is nice to indulge ourselves in something so funny, it reminds us of how we should not take life so seriously – now, that it is a state of mind that is more difficult to achieve than anything, if you think about it.

And this raunchily hilarious movie has just done that. In a charming way too.

Through a series of unfortunate events, two energy drink (which is, gasp, toxic filled!) salesmen trash their company vehicle and get into trouble with the law. To get away with doing jail time, they choose to spend “quality” time with a mentorship programme and in the process, they (get ready to say: “awww…”) realize what it means to be role models to the future of our generation. Pesky kids alert!

This may be subjective, but we find the leading men Paul Rudd (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Seann William Scott (Mr. Woodcock) extremely likeable. We know there are people who find Rudd extremely bland in forgettable movies like Over Her Dead Body (2008), or William Scott extremely offensive in silly movies like The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), but their natural chemistry as the duo sentenced to community service manages to rub it off nicely, so much so that we actually enjoy seeing them act together on screen. This is complemented by co stars like the underrated Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno) as Rudd’s on and off (and eventually, on) girlfriend and TV star Jane Lynch (Criminal Minds) as the owner of the welfare centre.

The two stars who will stand out are definitely the kids Rudd and William Scott’s characters are assigned to look after. Without saying too much, you’ll be practically be laughing your hearts out with the cheeky performance put in by Bobb’e J. Thomson (Fred Claus) and the spot on nerdy portrayal by that kid in Superbad (2008), Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Performances aside, this movie scores because of its ability to make you laugh every other minute while reflecting on real life issues – if you are intellectual human beings like us, that is. Issues of what it takes to be a responsible adult, what it takes to balance fun and work, why it’s essential to take things lightly in this time and age will all surface in your mind if you think a little deeper.

If not, you’d also be enjoying every other minute of crude humour and vulgar fun (toilet gags included) that will leave you in stitches and tears. The kind of jokes you get in this movie will remind you of the typical American frat boy fun, where stupidity and idiocy can turn out tremendously side splitting.

And this is why this movie works. If you go into the theatre expecting the usual slapstick humour that you’d forget half an hour after the movie, then you are wrong. This uproariously executed comedy is such a hoot, you won’t be forgetting it anytime soon. 

Movie Rating:



(Solid performances aside, this is one very funny movie with takeaways that matter)

Review by John Li