Step Brothers

1 of 1

A perfect pairing

If you've been ticking off the days, in the lead up to the release of 'Step Brothers'... stop. It's no 'Anchorman'. Ridiculous and funny, just not ridiculously funny.

Watch an interview with Will Ferrell and John C Reilly.

As the title infers, Ferrell (Brennan) and Reilly (Dale) play two middle-aged, home-living, Baby-Men who, reluctantly, become step brothers when their pre-retirement parents get hitched. At first the two clash in an amusing fashion, but much life-threatening play acting later they become pals. Naturally the newlyweds are anxious for them to move on, and out, but it's easier said than done.

After 'Anchorman', 'Talladega Nights' was the second film from the 'Saturday Night Live' coupling of Ferrell and director and co-writer McKay. However, despite the big budget and box-office, the film was a disappointing follow-up to Ron Burgundy's lunacy. But 'Talladega.' still provided the unlikely-yet-perfect pairing of 'Magnolia's Reilly with 'Old School's Ferrell, and for that fans are grateful.

Watch the trailer in Windows Media Player.

Watch the trailer in Real Player.

Watch the trailer in Quicktime.

While it may be a distant cousin, 'Step Brothers' is at least from the same gene pool. Once again the highlight is Ferrell and Reilly, as they bounce off each other's blustering idiocy, scene after scene. Following the fratpacker-created movie genre ('Semi-Pro', 'Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story', '40-Year-Old Virgin', 'Old School'), their characters are in a state of arrested adolescence. Some of the best scenes involve teenage outbursts, exaggerated enough to make Harry Enfield's 'Kevin and Perry' proud. Highs include sleepwalking scenes, jokes about 'Shark Week' and some of the funniest screen kisses on the go.

The superb duo's unselfconscious performances bounce perfectly off each other. Reilly as the cocky, antagonistic one versus Ferrell's puppy-dog pampered mummy's boy. The anti-heroes manage the impossible when they make their - could-be - obnoxious characters likeable. However, when unsupported by the film's mundane premise, they and the plot fall.

Not even talented actors Steenbergen and Jenkins, who play the parents, can buy into or sell the outrageous concept. It's just not credible that people would put up with the behaviour of Brennan and Dale for so long. The more unchallenged they are, the more challenging it is to accept the concept. Before long, it becomes far-fetched, uncomfortable even, as you watch two middle-aged men living at home with aging parents.

However, no point dwelling on social commentary, because McKay and Ferrell aren't interested. Their one and only objective is to make us laugh, which falls on the shoulders of this superb double act. The only semi-serious notion they do pass on is a non-conformist, anti-maturity one.

One gag in particular springs to mind, which involves Brennan 'tea-bagging' Dale's drum set (no pun intended, seriously). Seth Rogen and his 'Superbad' lads could have pulled this off (again, no pun intended) but it doesn't have the same appeal coming from a middle-aged man.
When McKay focuses on the pure simplicity of the pair getting stupidly excited over tree houses, Chewbacca masks and Samurai swords, 'Step Brothers' is a hugely entertaining testimony to the talent of Ferrell and Reilly and their improvisational skills, climaxing in a hilarious montage well worth staying in your seat for.

'Step Brothers' is another absurdist platform for the perfect pairing of Ferrell and Reilly, albeit an unworthy one.

Taragh Loughrey-Grant