Danny and Wheeler are two salesmen who trash a company truck on an energy drink-fuelled bender. Upon their arrest, the court gives them two choices: do hard time or spend 150 service hours in a mentorship program. After just one day with the kids, jail doesn't look half bad. If they can just make it through probation without getting thrown in jail, the world's worst role models will prove that sometimes it takes a village idiot to raise a child.
What I loved most: Jane Lynch, the scary head mentor
What I really hated: The formulaic plot
An uneven comedy that's laugh-out-loud hilarious at times, but mostly rather blah. It's likable enough, but the loose pacing tries your patience, and the formula is painfully apparent. The supporting cast is great though, and Jane Lynch is fantastic in her randomness as a bizarre and scary head of a mentoring program.
Presenting Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott, doing what they do best. That means playing a dry, I-hate-my-life-but-I'm-still-better-than-everyone person for Rudd, and annoying happy-go-lucky pervert for the latter. However, do not expect this to be another boring, been-there-done-that comedy. Despite playing their stereotypical roles, "Role Models" makes the best of it.
There's enough comedy for everybody. Those who love slapstick will find enough to make them fall off chairs with laughter. Those who find sarcasm as the best type of comedy (because everything else is dumb, pfft...) will see that Rudd does ever so well in them. Those who adore crude remarks and believe that offensive jokes about boobs are the way of life, fret not, as Wheeler and his little buddy Ronnie will "flash" them out for you. Interestingly, there are so many double meanings and swear words throughout the entire movie but it seems that Rudd and Scott's ability to use them rapidly in a nonchalant manner makes us believe that the censorship people probably just gave up trying to bleep it altogether!
As another movie about two immature dudes learning to be real adults by taking care of two kids (one vulgar kid and one childish teen, more like), there isn't much hope for the plot. What makes the watch interesting are the script and the characterisation, from Danny's habit of making fun of people's ignorance (check out the scene where he argues with a barrista about 'venti' coffee), to the recovering cocaine-addict Gayle who keeps talking in inappropriate analogies about "BS".
A mixture of intelligence writing and a load of crap, this movie might just be the comedy that is acceptable by all, and not make one laugh while the other cringe.
In short, "Role Models" had me at "...my job sucks".
Production Photos - Click thumbnail for larger photos
