What did you think of the trailer?

Jon: The odd thing about trailers for comedy films is that more often than not, they give away some of the funnier moments away. I initially thought that would be the case with Role Models. Now, I didn’t see the Red Band trailer, but luckily I can report that there are funnier moments the normal trailer didn’t show and that this could be one of the funniest films this year.

Donny:  I dug the trailer.  I didn’t think it was the most exciting trailer for a comedy, but I was still stoked to see it.  I agree with Jon that trailers sometimes give away the best moments of a film (Cloverfield’s trailer gave away the only good moments), but Role Models definitely has more to offer than what is in the trailer.

Are you fans of Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott?

Donny:  I’m huge Paul Rudd fan, but I don’t flock to see films with Seann William Scott attached.  Both of them kicked much ass in this movie though. 

Jon: I don’t hate Seann William Scott like other critics do, I find him entertaining and in the case of The Promotion, a film hardly anyone else saw, really well. Paul Rudd is really shooting up to the top of my list for comedic actors. This is a good pairing.

What did you think of Role Models?

Donny:  I loved Role Models.  I was waiting for a lukewarm comedy that would kill two hours, but ultimately not offer anything beyond being a decent time-waster.  I was wrong.  Role Models were quite possibly the most impressive comedy that I’ve seen this year.  I know that the clock is ticking and 2009 is quickly approaching, but it’s going to be hard to beat this flick, because when it came to bringing the funny Role Models brought enough ammunition to keep the comedy war raging on during its entire runtime.  This film is hilarious even when the characters aren’t cracking jokes.  Paul Rudd’s facial expressions and awesome comedic timing were second to none, and Seann William Scott was great as the happy-go-lucky energy drink mascot. 

Sometimes I leave the theatre and I have to let a film sit within my subconscious for a while before I really know how I feel about it, but with Role Models I knew exactly how I felt about it the minute the credits started rolling.  I loved it.  I wanted to keep my seat and get a second look at it, and if it would have been my only screening this Friday I definitely would have.  I enjoyed seeing Christopher Mintz-Plasse rock the screen once again, and Bobb’e J. Thompson was extremely funny as well.  Of course if I thought about it hard enough I could probably find a few things that I’d have done differently, but the truth is, I don’t want to be like the growing number of critics out there doing their best to enjoy only the films that seem to be Oscar bound.  I went to see this flick to be entertained for a few hours, and I was thoroughly entertained. 

Jon: You know what? This might not make a good dual review since I agree with Donny nearly 100%, but damn it, Role Models was a huge surprise for me. Initially, I almost skipped it because I felt like the trailer was funny, but I was expecting to be letdown by another semi-funny movie that’s quickly forgotten. Like Donny, I was wrong. Role Models is freaking hilarious from start to finish. First and foremost, it’s because of Paul Rudd. He plays a character who is so disgruntled it shouldn’t be funny but it is. Little looks or quips make his character one of my favorite downbeats of the year and yes, Seann William Scott is good again. While Donny commented on Christopher Mintz-Plasse, to me he’s always McLovin‘ but the finale of the film makes him three-dimensional enough to lightly shed that stereotype.

But one of the biggest kicks I got was from Jane Lynch as Gayle Sweeny, the Sturdy Wings creator. She balances this character perfectly. She never goes full camp and never goes too serious as her character is one of those people I personally can’t stand. She plays an ex-druggie who has found a calling in her life to help the “littles”, which are the kids in the film. She plays a reformed druggie that feels like those weird Born-Again Christians that you know is so full of crap but hey, she’s doing well. Her performance perfectly counter-balances the two male leads. Great stuff.

But everything comes together with not so much a heavy-handed message but they do reform and it’s for the kids more than themselves, which in turn, changes them. The film hits all of the typical comedy film clichés but it’s so incredibly funny and foul (but not in a gross-out way), it’s a must-see.

Are you a role model?

Jon: The only “little” in my life is my nephew and he’s barely 18 months old. Strangely enough, he mimics me a lot as in when I cough he coughs, when I laugh he laughs. He also has some great tastes in movies already; he always grabs Treasure of the Sierra Madre off my DVD shelf and yells “Zilla!” obviously in reference to Godzilla, so that’s the positive aspects of me rubbing off. But I will not tell of my other habits he’s starting to pick up on… (insert evil laugh). Yeah, people are afraid.

Donny:  I try my best to be a role model for my children, but sometimes it’s an uphill battle.  If my wife put out a money jar for every curse word I let slip out, it would be full within a week.  So to answer the question, I’d have to say that I’m working on it. 

Grade?

Donny: ****

Jon: ***

Rating:

Tags: Bobb'e J. Thompson, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Jane Lynch, McLovin, Paul Rudd, Role Models, Seann William Scott, The Promotion, Treasure of the Sierra Madre