Step Brothers (2008)

Directed by: Adam McKay
Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly

**

Step Brothers shows us what would happen if petty childhood squabbles were had by adults. While some could make a convincing argument that this happens all the time in real life, this film takes it as literally as possible. Brennan and Dale (Ferrell and Reilly) both live at home, despite the fact that they are 40 years old. The reason for this is explained, albeit unconvincingly, however the explanation isn't important. Ferrell and Reilly are funny enough to shift your focus to the progression of the story rather than the origin. Unfortunately, this film's story has very little progression, it lacks direction and it left me disappointed on a number of levels.

By saying I was disappointed is in no way suggesting that I had high expectations for this film. I was not disappointed in the quality of the film in any comparative sense. It was disappointing, but it met my expectations. My problem was with the direction is chose to go in certain situations. After several jokes about how much Brennan and Dale hate each other and a near death match on the front lawn, the two step brothers eventually realize they have a lot in common and become friends. From there, they essentially live the same lives they did before, but they do it together. Their changed opinion of each other doesn't translate into any type of character arch. Essentially all it does it make things worse and they end up hating each other again. I kind of got the impression that it was universally believed that it was funnier to have them hate each other so scrap the story and bank on the jokes and physical humor.

Step Brothers had its moments and it was funny on a number of occasions, however as a whole, the movie got worse as it went along. The hour and forty-five minutes dragged and despite the funny moments, the film steered my expectations in one direction only to go back to the same old plot line of Brennan and Dale being bums.

This was the kind of movie that usually merits a "it is what it is" type of review. It's basically two funny actors, being funny for the entire movie. However, on so many occasions it attempted to step outside of what it is only to find it didn't belong. For example, Brennan's younger and much, much more successful brother is the stereotypical character that you are just waiting to get his but instead, he and Brennan reunite. There was no deep message being suggested... the movie didn't stray that far from itself... but in a movie like this, when a character has something coming, usually its best if he gets it in the most outlandish, physically painful and humorous way imaginable... or at least just get kicked in the balls.

Delving further into Ferrell and Reilly as Brennan and Dale would require a much longer review. They both work well as the characters and the script was clearly written with them in mind however something about either the characters themselves or the movie as a whole really hurt their ability to be as funny as they can be. It certainly wasn't a lack of improvisational freedom as I'm not sure if any of their lines were actually on the page but its almost as if they were directed to be more serious and to try to create deeper characters than were necessary. I don't know... maybe I'm trying to be too deep. This film almost was what it was. It was just a little more than that and it shouldn't have been.