Role Models Movie Review

Role Models is one of the biggest comedies to enter the scene this November. Starring Seann William Scott and Paul Rudd, it chronicles the story of two energy drink salesmen who run into some trouble with the law. As a consequence, they must perform community service by helping two kids in a quasi-big brother/big sister program. Meanwhile, Rudd's character and his lawyer girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) go through some rough patches in their relationship.

Watching Rudd's clearly depressed character progress through his relationships with his girlfriend and his "little" (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) was what I enjoyed most about this movie. His character's jaded-with-life perspective is nothing we haven't witnessed before, (think Knocked Up) but for some reason it always works. Rudd can pull off the guy who just doesn't care so well that it never seems to get old. But, as the film goes on, the audience finally gets to see him realize what is important to him.

William Scott, of course, is pretty much Stifler from American Pie five years later. But what else did you expect? The "dude" persona is always good for a few belly laughs. In this classic "comedy with a heart" type script, he and his "little" (Bobb'e Thompson) are the goofy comic relief in some of the more emotional parts of the film.

The two little brothers were played to perfection by Mintz-Plasse and Thompson. Mintz-Plasse, best know for his role as McLovin in Superbad, returns to his go-to nerdy characterization. Admittedly, he is very, very good at it. His obsession with the role playing game LAIRE (think World of Warcraft with a bunch of live people in a park) makes the film. And Thompson is the Dennis the Menace of 2008. He and William Scott have some hilarious conversations, and get themselves into some funny situations. But what made me leave with a real appreciation was the final scene. An epic battle of sorts, it is not one soon to be forgotten.

All in all, this movie didn't just make me snicker, it made me chuckle. And the fact that a few of the characters were very relatable only made it better. I would definitely reccomend it to anyone looking for some lighthearted laughs. It proved to me that Judd Apatow isn't necessarily always needed to make a great comedy in 2008.