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Review: 'Step Brothers'
Rated R for crude and sexual content, and pervasive language
(out of four)
Garrett Conti can be reached via e-mail or at 412-380-5685.
Ponder their most recent -- Ferrell in "Semi-Pro" and Reilly in "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" -- and awful memories of two of the worst comedies of the past decade re-emerge.
This new addition to their resumes takes a surprising step in the right direction. The immature "Step Brothers," directed by Adam McKay and co-produced by Judd Apatow, makes great use of the give-and-take chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly and makes it the focal point of this wildly outrageous comedy.
"Step Brothers" has Ferrell and Reilly, also writers on the potty-mouthed picture, playing 40-year-old losers still living with their single parents. Brennan Huff (Ferrell) lives with his mother, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen), and Dale Doback (Reilly) lives with his father, Robert (Richard Jenkins). When Richard and Nancy meet at a conference, sparks fly and they quickly marry. This forces Brennan and Dale together under the same roof.
Initially, Brennan and Dale hate each other, taking every slapstick opportunity to heap on mental or physical abuse. Eventually, though, a great relationship is forged, as they find out how much they have in common. Together, they're able to move out of arrested development and finally find something useful to do with their lives.
"Step Brothers" is at its best when Ferrell and Reilly -- last partnered up in 2006's lackluster "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" -- are on the assault, be it on each other, family members or folks around the way.
The one mistake "Step Brothers" seems to make -- and it does it quite a bit -- is beating jokes into the ground. That seems to be a trademark of comedies featuring Reilly and Ferrell, though. Fortunately, that's one of the rare miscues in an otherwise pleasant surprise that's bound to have moviegoers rolling in the aisles.
• In wide release
