by Jenny Jones
Brennan Huff (Will Ferrell) and Dale Doback (John C. Reilly) are 40-year-old children still living at home with their divorced parents, Nancy Huff and Dr. Robert Doback. When Nancy and the good doctor meet, fall in love and move in together, Brennan and Dale become immediate archenemies comically plotting ways to sabotage one another. However once they get to know each other better, these adolescent-minded men realize how much they have in common and decide to become best bunk buddies, only to have their newly developed brotherly love dissolve back into constant bickering and fighting. Not surprisingly though, when their non-stop feuding causes Nancy and Robert to divorce each other, the boys must once again set aside their differences and immature attitudes to reunite the only two people that have always defended and supported them. And they all lived happily ever after…
Though the characters and plot of Judd Apatow’s most recent release, “Step-Brothers”, are new, the cheap childish humor is getting tired and repetitive. Once again Will Ferrell is teamed up with his slap stick sidekick, John C. Reilly in yet another movie with a Saturday Night Live, improvised skit, type of style to it. The jokes are loud, immature and extremely raunchy. If you thought the scene from “Old School” where Will Ferrell streaks through the streets nude was a little too graphic wait until you see what he lets hang out in “Step-Brothers”! And maybe this is considered funny to some people, but to me there is nothing funny about an overweight, hairy, sweaty, 40-year-old guy rubbing his disgusting genitalia on a drum set. If you’re chuckling to yourself right now, this is the movie for you! I on the other hand prefer movies with a script, clever witty humor and a cast of talented actors. Actually, Apatow did manage to rope a couple of highly accomplished actors for this production, namely Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins who play Ferrell and Reilly’s parents in the film. How he convinced these two, who usually play serious dramatic Oscar worthy performances in their films, to take on roles as divorcees caring for 40 year old live-at-home sons, cursing and swearing like pirates, being attacked by animals and spanking grown men’s bums is a mystery to me. But needless to say there will be no Oscar nominations for these displays. No, “Step-Brothers” is just another in a long line of Ferrell comedies that offer silly, obnoxious comedy with little to no plot and very little evidence of a script. I fear he and Reilly have exhausted all of the same jokes (bullies, unicorns, physical attacks, verbal assaults, poop humor, etc…) and desperately need to try something new. I am a huge fan of Will Ferrell and usually adore all of his movies if only for the slew of one-liners that I come away with, but it is time for him to shuffle the deck and try something new. No more licking poop Mr. Ferrell, try something a little more tasteful!
6 out of 10.
Features
- Both Theatrical and Extended Film Versions
- Extended & Alternate Scenes
- Line-O-Rama
- Gag Reel
- “Boats ‘N Hoes“: Full Music Video
- The Making of Step Brothers
- Commentary with Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Adam McKay, special guest NBA Star Baron Davis and Scored by Jon Brion
Exclusive To This 2-Disc Edition:
- A Digital Copy of the Extended Film
- More Extended & Alternate Scenes
- Deleted Scenes
- Job Interviews
- Therapy Sessions
- Prestige Worldwide Full Presentation
- Dale vs. Brennan: Sibling Rivalry
- The Music of Step Brothers
- And More!