Role Models (2009, Universal)
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Role Models is a classic example of a “yeah, but” movie. As in:

“Aw, Christ, not another raunchy bromance comedy.”

“Yeah, but Paul Rudd is in this one.”

“And so is Stifler. I hate Stifler!”

“Yeah, but it was directed by David Wain.”

So on and so forth. This type of movie usually has just cool enough of a concept to trick you into seeing it, but can’t stick the landing well enough to justify its existence. In this case, however, it pleases me to report that the “yeah, buts” have it — Role Models is very funny, sometimes uproariously so, and it manages to avoid any of the buzz-killing filler that bogged down like-minded films such as, say, Wedding Crashers.

The movie manages to succeed in spite of the fact that it doesn’t ask any of its leads to do anything they haven’t already done in a dozen movies — Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott, and Jane Lynch all fall back on the screen personalities that made them famous — and despite relying on kiddie profanity for much of its humor. It works for two reasons: One, Rudd, Scott, and Lynch are very funny, and two, a cute little kid saying horribly nasty things is also very funny. Role Models has a tired plot and it makes pitifully poor use of Elizabeth Banks, but it doesn’t matter — Wain knew all he had to do was put his (largely improv-trained) cast in front of the cameras, turn them loose, and wait for the laughs to arrive.

Rudd’s an immensely likable actor, but he works best when offering a few tablespoons of droll seasoning as a supporting player in someone else’s film; Scott, meanwhile, can be entertaining in the right setting, but watching him play minor variations on Stifler for the last 10 years has gotten pretty old. Role Models circumvents both of these problems by essentially making Rudd and Scott supporting players — they’re in almost every scene, but once their characters get the plot rolling, they fade into the mix with the rest of Wain’s talented ensemble, offering pretty much everyone who has any lines the chance to be funny.

The setup is simple: Danny (Rudd) and Wheeler (Scott) are co-workers for an energy drink company that pays them to drive around to middle schools and deliver motivational “say no to drugs” presentations. Danny, who handles the speeches, hates his job, himself, and everyone around him; Wheeler, who dresses up in a furry minotaur costume, is a happy-go-lucky horndog. When Danny’s girlfriend (played by Banks) responds to his spur-of-the-moment proposal by dumping him, the stage is set for a confrontation with a middle school security guard (Louis C.K., in a split-second role) that ends with the co-workers sentenced to 150 hours of public service at Sturdy Wings, a Big Brothers Big Sisters-type organization headed up by an addle-brained recovering addict (Lynch, of course). (more…)