Step Brothers 
From the minds of Talladega Nights and Anchorman, is the latest Adam McKay/Will Ferrell collaboration Step Brothers. As I’m sure from what you’ve already seen on TV or in previews, this film can basically be entirely summed up in about a sentence. It’s two middle aged men living with their parents, whom become step brothers and act like immature kids being forced to learn some responsibility. With swearing galore, wacky situations and a couple of creepy and almost homoerotic sequences this comedy may be dumb downed to the core but is as well mindless entertainment in it’s truest form.
Lead by the comic mind of Will Ferrell and Oscar nominated actor John C. Reilly, Step Brothers is a completely relentless and almost insane summer comedy. Being drawn to Will Ferrell and as well being a John C. Reilly fan, I myself was immediately attracted to this comedy and walked in anticipating a funny and easy time at the movies. In what’s easily a showcase of these two actors comedic abilities I’m not sure if this could ever work had it been anyone else, as a matter of fact, it probably would of sucked had it been done with another two actors. Luckily, these two talented performers delivered on humor but this film is far from truly well crafted cinema.
I’ll admit even for an outlandish goof-ball comedy like this, the premise is a bit hard to swallow. The idea of two forty-something grown men who live at home and act like 12 year olds is more a stretched out SNL sketch than the kind of material that should be used in a feature length film. I mean these characters have to have some serious psychological impairments to end up in these predicaments but then again look at me, I’m trying to analyze the validity of a Will Ferrell comedy and that’s not really the point. It may be hard for some of the more uptight or intellectual viewers to accept, but for someone who can enjoy the smaller joys of extreme vulgarity and off-the-wall improvisation it’s a laugh riot.
Though in this day and age of comedy films with a heart like Knocked Up or The 40 Year Old Virgin I often found myself a little bummed or even uncomfortable by the lack of attention and care put into this story. Sure you can have loads of gross out jokes and wacky slap-stick gags but without a well developed story, than it can never really be anything more than another moronic summer comedy. I can already see people of lesser standards talking about this film in the same conversation where they might discuss how sweet Old School or Harold and Kumar was and when I look it at like I wish McKay, Ferrell and Reilly could of shot a little higher with this idea. Even McKay and Ferrell’s previous attempts followed a remotely proficient structure so it was sad to see this one go every which way without ever establishing a competent base, not entirely necessary for a film like this but it couldn’t hurt.
So if you want to see some twisted humor while being able to leave your brain at the door, than I’d say this films is for you, just don’t go expecting to see a classic comedy in the making because Step Brothers as funny as it is, is still missing a few steps.