One might call Role Models “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Apatow!”
Role Models (Universal) is the latest in a string of comedies (Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Zack & Miri Make a Porno) that ape the comedies of Judd Apatow, though it is not actually an Apatow-produced film.
The cast is made up almost entirely of Apatow veterans, including Paul Rudd (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (McLovin in Superbad), Jane Lynch (40-Year-Old Virgin), Ken Jeong (Knocked Up), Joe Lo Truglio (Superbad) and Nate Hartley (Drillbit Taylor).
Writer/director/actor David Wain (Wet Hot American Summer) helms this film about two energy drink salesmen, Wheeler (Seann William Scott, American Pie) and Danny (Rudd), who drink too much of their product and wreck their company car. As punishment, they are given two options: a month in prison or 150 hours in a mentorship program. Not wanting to lose their jobs, they decide to mentor.
This turns out to be a lot harder than they thought.
Danny is assigned to a teenager named Augie (Mintz-Plasse), a nerd with no friends who spends most of his time LARPing (that is, live action role playing).
Wheeler is assigned to Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson, Fred Claus), a wild child with a single mother who regularly causes trouble and uses profanity beyond his years. Danny and Wheeler struggle to bond with the kids, while Wheeler is trying to find meaning to his life and Danny is trying to win back his ex-girlfriend of seven years, Beth (Elizabeth Banks, W.)
There are many bumps in the road during their community service, but, naturally, everyone learns a lesson or two in the end.
The best part of Role Models is that everything is grounded in a level of realism that makes it that much funnier.
The entire cast is phenomenal, providing solid laughs throughout. It is nice to see Scott in a role that is actually funny-something he hasn’t had since American Pie-and Mintz-Plasse diversifies from his “McLovin” persona as the shy, unhappy Augie.
Role Models has a premise that has been done over and over again, but it takes a unique spin on it.
Its R-rating gives it more room as far as comedy goes, and it certainly benefits.
It does not matter if a film is cliché if you’re laughing too hard to care, something Role Models knows all too well.
