The Climaxan

I’ll be honest, the last Will Ferrell movie that I liked was Stranger Than Fiction. Blades of Glory sucked, Semi-Pro was meh, and I didn’t even like Talladega Nights that much. It was starting to seem like Will Ferrell had lost the mojo, and that he was playing the same roles over and over. I’m not saying that Step Brothers is a huge departure from Ferrell’s normal bag of tricks, but it is hilarious, and that’s all that really matters.

Will Ferrell is at his best when he is no holds-barred, and the same can be said of John C. Reilly. With no limits on the language they can use, the result is a classic display of quotes that will be used for years to come (Boats n’ hoes baby!). The story is simple, Ferrell and Reilly play two 40 year-olds who lived off their parents good fortune for their entire lives. When there parents get married they are forced to deal with the changes in their “perfect” lives. The brothers are pathetic in every way, and it’s hard to believe that there are people that act like this, but like I said before, it doesn’t matter. It’s funny, it’s real funny.

Another pleasant surprise during Step Brothers, and something that increased my enjoyment of it tenfold, was the strength of the supporting cast. The Step Parents are perfectly cast and they don’t simply sit on the sidelines and watch their children destroy their lives. They take an active part in things. Ferrell’s character also has an ultra-successful brother who is the biggest doochebag you’ll ever witness, and his wife will kill you even more with some of the crazy stuff that comes out of her mouth. There are many off the wall scenes in this movie that have completely random set ups, much like in Anchorman, but just like in Anchorman you will revel in the randomness. It’s also a fact that you will never look at a drum set the same way again. Or you will find new and creative ways to use said drum set.

I always thought Step-Brothers looked funny, but I was surprised by how hilarious it actually was. It won’t be considered one of the greatest comedies of all-time, but it’s a return to form for Ferrell and a nice trophy for him to stick up on his once dusty mantle of comedy gold.

8/10