Role Models Review: Kiss-My-Anthia Lives!
Posted on 10 November 2008 by Manny
This weekend, as I headed to the box office, I was feeling an urge of goodness urging through my body. Was it due to the dollar just I spent on a 25 cent sized chocolate bar that I bought from the little girl, poaching the theater’s patrons? Or could it have been that the tantalizing sensation I was feeling, was knowing that I was about to watch a film that was geared towards helping children. Or MAYBE, because I knew deep down, that despite having the title of “Role Models,” this is a movie that I would never take my children to watch. Luckily, I have no children, and these types of movies. . . are my favorite!
The movie started out strong. It showed promise of a very entertaining promise of hilariousness. Wheeler (Sean William Scott) and buddy/co-worker Donny Danahue (Paul Rudd) are two very different salesmen. Wheeler loves his job, dressing up as a Minotaur, while Donny wears a business suit, while they travel from school to school doing, anti-drug PSA’s. This is as far as their similarities go.
When Donny’s midlife crisis takes a hold of him, he acts on impulse and crashes their company car into a school statue. Needless to say, this is the catalyst that jump starts their character’s transformation into responsible adults. Yeah, and I’m the queen of France!
The two embark on a journey of hell on earth, or middle kingdom, with the kids they are paired with to be “Role Models” to. The young Ronnie (Bobb’e J Thompson) and Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) play troubled kids in need of intervention. That’s enough background of the movie, now on to why I loved it.
Despite the premise of being a touchy feel good movie, that will teach morals and lessons, kind of like a modern Aesop Fable, this movie accomplished all of this in one of the most realistic ways I’ve ever seen. The relationship that Wheeler and Ronnie have makes them an odd-couple perfect for each other. Donny and Augie are able to find common ground in their less than perfect life, which made this movie real for me.
There are a lot of movies out there that try to make everything so honky-dory when in reality, some troubled kids can’t be reached through traditional means. This movie addressed this issue, and proved that connections can be made through the most unconventional ways. Even LAIRE obsessed Augie was able to find love in a cute, yet equally nerdy girl. Ronnie, well Ronnie is obsessed with boobies, but he still got his booby fix in the movie. More so than me at that age.
The character development is as realistic as I could have expected. It wasn’t a night and day type of change for Donny, but just enough to show that his life is not a complete crap hole. Wheeler didn’t even change all that much, but he’s loveable from the get go. Game face! It was a solid 90 minutes of be-yourself comedy, which shows people that you can really reach out to someone and make a difference by just being yourself. Even if you are a jerk.
This brings me to the bromance teamwork of 80s metal and the Dungeons & Drangon crowd coming together and making an example out of the human condition of the individual in society. The battle scene itself can come off as geekish, but when the foam started flying, it totally whooped the Lord of the Rings choreography. This is where it all makes sense and comes together. The Man-boys are able to grow up enough to become friends with their “Littles” (as they are called “Bigs” at “Sturdy Wings”).
Despite the uncomfortable, and yet highly hilarious “S” and “F” bombs that Ronnie drops every 5 minutes, as well as the graphic drawings, boob flashing, and random acts of violence, this movie brings people from all walks of life together, in a weird way that makes sense. Paul Judd is always witty, clever, and hilarious. It’s also nice to see Sean William Scott play a different type of skirt chasing, hit-it-and-quit-it, swinger type of character besides Stiffler. He’s still Stiffler of course, but a less intrusive, more kinder, and gentler Stiffler. This movie may not be a “family film, but it sure is a heartwarming, laugh out loud, chick flicking guy movie.
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Tags | boxoffice, Entertainment, funny, nude, PaulJudd, Review, Role Models Review, SeanWilliamScott, sex
November 11th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
its stiffler….not stickler