Role Models Movie Blurb by Shale November 9, 2008 The movie to see this week was Role Models and I woulda seen it yesterday, 'cept it was my B'day and I got a full body massage instead that took up all the matinee times. Anyhow, this movie looked like it had a good premise from the trailers so I rode my new B'day present bike to the Cineplex today. Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) are friends and work partners doing their gig promoting an energy drink to high school kids as an alternative to drugs. Wheeler dresses as a Minotaur mascot and is one of those guys who enjoys his simple job and just likes to have a good time and play with girls. Danny is a very negative, overcritical type who drives his lawyer girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) to the point of breaking up. Wheeler and Danny Selling Energy Drink to Kids Danny then goes ballistic and drives the Minotaur truck up a statue horse's behind, assaulting a cop in the process and they are sentenced to a month in jail. Beth manages to get them community service working with kids at Sturdy Wings, a Big-Brothers type program run by Gayle (Jane Lynch) a tough ex addict who lets our guys know she takes no bullshit. Don't bullshit me or you're going to jail! So, as seen in the trailers, our clueless guys are paired with the worse cases in the program. Danny gets Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) a young teen nerd, totally engrossed with LAIRE a live fantasy game played with other teen and adult nerds. Wheeler gets a charming little black kid who adores him immediately. Bigs and Littles get paired at Sturdy Wings Nah! Just messin' with ya. Wheeler gets stuck with Ronnie (Bobb'e J.Thompson) a foul-mouthed, angry, conniving, little terror who was notorious for sending other counselors running after the first day. However, Gayle lets Wheeler know there is nowhere to run. Big Wheeler and Little Ronnie a Perfect Match OK, you see where this is bound to head being a formulaic romantic comedy. You know the guys are going to bond with their damaged kids and are going to find their own inner hero to help the kids cope. But the fun is not the destination so much as the trip. Watching the comedic interactions and poignant moments of inner discovery and developing friendship between the guys and their kids was what made this a very enjoyable movie. That, and the very funny, often raunchy dialogue. So, why would a romantic comedy, usually PG-13 fare garner an R rating? Oh, just the usual; vulgar language, (mostly from a 12-year-old) sexual situations, nudity, drug references and "adult" themes. I really recommend this movie, and quite frankly I think a 14-year-old could enjoy it as well.
On a Personal Note When you have as much history as I, movies often bring up things from your past, your sphere of reference to the world I suppose. This light, romantic comedy actually made me think about my nerdy childhood. Watching the reclusive shy teen getting involved in his fantasy game reminded me of playing with little plastic horses and knights with my friend Leonard. We had whole setups of cardboard castles and moats. This was before all the electronic games that pre-teens get into these days. We did not have special effects other than what we produced in fantasy. We even played on a larger scale with trashcan lids and broomstick swords. My dad even made me a wooden sword and a Masonite shield that were shaped like the real things. So, guess I was a nerd myself (I think our generation invented nerds). But, at what time does this fantasy end - at childhood. I have attended a couple of Renaissance Faires and admit that I was intrigued by the total immersion into that culture - even to the archaic English. I could see myself someday getting into costume for such an event. After all that was the European tribal era, our roots so to speak. As for the young street wise black kid using gutter language, that was not an over the top portrayal. I have actually seen kids like that. I worked with young teens in a boys home and they were not always polite in their word usage. Likewise, as a scoutmaster with more suburban kids, I learned that kids can come up with some pretty raunchy ideas much as our two guys in this movie did. Hey, I can remember my own childhood - why do so many adults want to think kids are innocent? Especially now. As a teen all we could do was steal Playboy magazines - now there is the Internet where a 12-year-old can see boobies. I also had a 12-year-old boy living with me for a while in New Orleans back in the '70s. He came from the Desire Projects but was a really nice kid. A lot of that black ghetto rap is nothing but a defense mechanism and in a way that was brought out in this movie.
I haven't laughed that much at a movie in quite a while...and I was sober!! Saw it with a group of 20-something high school kids at midnight after a show...it was amazing!!
i wouldnt say amazing but it had its laughs.. i would have to say that some parts of the movie would be completely unfunny if it wasnt for the over use of vulgarity.