Step Brothers (Sony Pictures)
Oh Grow Up!
Just when you think Will Ferrell cant debase his talent any further he takes it another step down. Blades of Glory started his slump. This was followed by the awful Semi Pro. Now we have the third nail in the coffin of his career Step Brothers. Not only is Ferrell bad in this film but he manages to drag John C Reilly, Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins down with him.
Ferrell plays Brennan, one of two sons of Nancy Huff (Steenburgen). She also has a younger son named Derek (Adam Scott). Brennan lives with his mother although he is nearly forty years old. So when she meets and marries Dr. Robert Doback (Jenkins) he goes along to live at Dobacks house. This causes a crowd because Doback also has a stay at home son, Dale (Reilly), who too is almost forty.
Brennan and Dale hate each other at first sight and act like spoiled, petulant children. They bicker, hurl insults, and eventually come to blows. Their parents can only weakly ask them to stop, which they ignore. The arguments they have are at the most immature level and though silly arent funny.
Eventually the brothers bond and work together to avoid work. They are ambitionless males who seem to have stopped growing mentally around the age of twelve. Both parents are enablers and let the boys live lives of indolence and self gratification.
The humor in the movie is pure Judd Apatow (Knocked Up) even though the script was written by Ferrell, Reilly and Adam McKay (who also directed). The F word is hurled about like it should send the audience into peals of laughter, and male genitalia is once again exposed. Did I mention the movie is rated R
Ferrell once commanded respect and adulation in the world of comedy. He was bright, inventive and totally charming. He was even on the verge of being considered a serious actor with his role in Stranger Than Fiction. Then came his triple slide into gross-out comedy. He has alienated general audiences and has now directed his career toward only those who appreciate the cruder side of his humor.
Because of Ferrells general likeability audiences were willing to accept an edgier side to his comedy. They laughed with him in Talladega Nights and embraced his co-star John C Reilly. But in Step Brothers the charm of those performances are nowhere to be seen and the crudity beats the audience to death.
Richard Jenkins has been on the verge of major stardom this year with his role in The Visitor but this performance negates that one. As for Mary Steenburgen, I guess a paycheck is a paycheck but there is such a thing as pride.
There will be those who think the gross humor is perfect, and the profanity is just the way we talk. But there will be others who will either get word of the content and stay away, or will go to see the film and then come out and tell others to stay away.
There have always been legends about the evil stepmothers in our society, well this is a tale of the evil stepbrothers. They are to be avoided at all costs.
I scored Step Brothers an unloved 3 out of 10.
