Movie : Step Brothers

Movie Info
Genre Comedy
Release Date July 25, 2008
Studio Columbia Pictures

Director
Adam McKay

Producer
Judd Apatow, Jimmy Miller

Screenwriter
Adam McKay, Will Ferrell

Starring

* Will Ferrell as Brennan Huff
* John C. Reilly as Dale Doback
* Adam Scott
* Mary Steenburgen
* Katherine Hahn
* Andrea Savage


Movie Story (aceshowbiz.com)

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, who last teamed in the box-office smash "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby," now star in "Step Brothers," directed by Adam McKay ("Talladega Nights"). In "Step Brothers," Ferrell plays Brennan Huff, a sporadically employed thirty-nine-year-old who lives with his mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen). Reilly plays Dale Doback, a terminally unemployed forty-year-old who lives with his father, Robert (Richard Jenkins). When Robert and Nancy marry and move in together, Brennan and Dale are forced to live with each other as step brothers. As their narcissism and downright aggressive laziness threaten to tear the family apart, these two middle-aged, immature, overgrown boys will orchestrate an insane, elaborate plan to bring their parents back together. To pull it off, they must form an unlikely bond that maybe, just maybe, will finally get them out of the house. The screenplay is by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay from a story by Will Ferrell & Adam McKay & John C. Reilly. Jimmy Miller and Judd Apatow produce.

Review: Step Brothers
by GOD


“Step Brothers”, the new comedy from Adam McKay, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly essentially creates a new comedy genre, which I like to refer to as “Will Ferrell Porn.” Basically, Will Ferrell spends several minutes straight hammering away at us with really lame jokes and situations, and then shoots his load in one really hilarious moment, before returning to pounding away at us once more. Just like porn, it will eventually get you off, but the journey to that moment can be pretty dull and repetitive.

Step Brothers is the story of two “child-like” men who still live with their parents. Brennan, played by Ferrell is a 39 year old former Pet Smart employee who enjoys life at home with mom. Dale, played by John C. Reilly, is a 40 year old, never employed, guitar hero playing loser that still lives with dad. Both of these men’s lives are soon turned upside down when their parents meet at a conference, fall in love, and get married in a whirl wind romance. Now living all together under one roof, the two juvenile “step brothers” can’t stand each other. They fight, they destroy the house, and they make their parents miserable until their parents lay down the law. They must get a job within one month, or they’re out.

Soon though, after they find a common enemy in Brennan’s obnoxious brother, Derek, they become best friends and do everything together. This includes going on job interviews as a “team.” When this strategy of course doesn’t work, they come up with a “sure money making” opportunity. They are going to open up Prestige Worldwide, a “multi-service” corporation specializing in such things as financial planning, talent management, catering, and live musical entertainment. To sell their idea to potential investors, they shoot a music video on their dad’s boat, only to end up destroying the boat in the process. Their father, who dreamt of retiring to a life of sailing on the boat, becomes so distraught that he files for divorce, sells his home, and kicks the two “boy” men to the curb. With nowhere to go, the step brothers have no choice but to grow up, get jobs, and find a way to get their parents back together again.

I saw this film at a recent “test” screening. I am a huge fan of Will Ferrell, and as a fan I offer up the following criticisms as a way to help the filmmakers fine tune their movie so that it can become a success. As it stands right now, the film is very uneven. After a fantastic beginning, the film descends into long drawn out scenes that are meant to be funny, but just aren’t. Some editing might improve the comic timing. The characters of Brennan and Dale just aren’t believable. Unlike Chazz, Ferrell’s character from Wedding Crashers who still lived at home with mom, Brennan and Dale are emotionally and mentally stunted. If they weren’t able to turn things around at the end so easily, you would swear that they were in fact supposed to be mentally challenged. The basic premise is good though, and some of the scenes are comic genius. All of the scenes involving Prestige Worldwide are brilliant. There are also some classic comic exchanges too that I am sure will end up being quoted often. One such exchange goes like this:


Brennan
Wow, Dale, you really have a good collection
of porn magazines.

Dale
Yea, I have all the best ones from the 70’s,
80’s, and 90’s. It’s like masturbating in a time machine.

But unfortunately, these comic gems are just too few and far between to really add up to much at all. Too often the movie feels as if it is made up of several skits found on funnyordie.com, Will Ferrell’s comedy website. Some of the skits are great, but others fall flat. I really want to love this movie, but as it stands right now, I can’t. I am hoping that in the next several weeks before the film’s July 25 opening, they will make the fine tuning necessary to elevate this movie to a much higher quality I know it is capable of being.

This has been the word of GOD.
Taken From : www.nukedthefridge.com