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After last teaming up for 2006’s Talladega Nights, Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, and co-writer/director Adam McKay are back together again in the outrageous stepsibling comedy, Step Brothers.
Ferrell and Reilly play Brennan Huff and Dale Doback, two overgrown children, both of whom still live with at home with their single parents. It’s a pretty good life, really—no responsibilities, no pressure, and all the grilled cheese sandwiches they could ever want. But then the unthinkable happens: Brennan’s mom, Nancy (Mary Steenburgen), marries Dale’s dad, Robert (Richard Jenkins). Suddenly, they’ve lost their parents’ undivided attention—and, to make matters even worse, they’re forced to share a room.
From the minute these two spoiled man-children meet, they hate each other. But all that changes when they discover that they share a common enemy: Brennan’s pompous younger brother, Derek (Adam Scott). And once they find one thing in common, they realize just how similar they really are—and they become the best of friends.
For a while, life is good in the Huff-Doback household—but then Dale’s dad decides that it’s time for the boys to get jobs.
If you’re looking for a smart, mature comedy, Step Brothers definitely isn’t it. But when it comes to outrageous, lowbrow laughs, Ferrell and Reilly make a pretty dynamic duo. And Step Brothers grants them the perfect outlet for their sophomoric humor. These characters seem to beg for the silly, childish portrayal that Ferrell and Reilly so deftly provide. The two improvise their way through most of the movie—and though the laughs do miss their target from time to time, for the most part, they work. Whether Brennan and Dale are hanging out in their tree house or getting bullied by the neighbor kids, they offer up plenty of laughs—without trying too hard or not hard enough. The jokes may be childish and crude, but, generally, they’re delivered just right.
Of course, it helps that Ferrell and Reilly have a creative story to work with. Again, it’s not exactly brilliant comedy, but the story is interesting enough to hold the audience’s attention—even when the two stars aren’t doing something completely ridiculous and over-the-top (though, to be honest, those moments are rare). The only exception comes toward the end, when the story seems to drag on a bit longer than necessary. But, fortunately, the lull doesn’t last long.
Individually, Ferrell and Reilly may be difficult for some moviegoers to stomach. Ferrell sometimes lets loose a little too much, and Reilly is sometimes a bit flat. But the two funnymen work well together—and they do a great job of evening each other out. So if you’re looking for a few cheap, adolescent laughs, you can’t go wrong with Step Brothers.
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