Maxim’s Movie Reviews and Opinions Blog

The plot: Two overgrown adolescent friends, Wheeler (Seann William Scott) and Danny (Paul Rudd), who work in a company promoting an energy drink for 10 years, going from school to school with a simple message: “Just say no to drugs, and YES! to Minotaur”, but get in trouble when Danny’s girlfriend Beth (Elizabeth Banks) breaks up with him and he reacts in a way that nearly sends him and his buddy to jail. Beth, however, saves them by substituting their 30-day prison sentence for 150 hours of community service - to be role models for kids via a “Big Brother” program. But after a single day with kids, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson), patrons think 30 days in jail may not be all that bad.

The good: Wow, I didn’t know Paul Rudd can write. This is a very funny movie, and consistently so. Completely unrealistic, but it’s really a story I wish I could believe in. The plot is about two guys who are egoists, but the time they spend with kids completely transforms them and their life views - kids teach them a thing or two about life, and they learn to care for someone. Wheeler gets assigned to mentor Ronny, a 10-year old potty-mouth that acts tough, but is really just a little kid who is raised by a single mother does need parental guidance and care. Wheeler can’t get through to the kid until he offers an advise on getting laid. Augie is a geeky teenager (Christopher Mintz-Plasse always plays the same character - here and in Superbad) who is so insecure he is believed to be weird by his own parents and hangs out with other geeks, younger teenagers and bearded men who are completely absorbed by a medieval game with costume parties and battles - which perhaps helps them forget about their own misery. I liked him better playing McLovin - a geek that thought he was cool, but this geek who knows he is a geek is a character I can feel for too.

As the genre requires, all troubles get sorted out in the end. Very enjoyable movie; people were leaving the theater with smiles on their faces and kept laughing outloud.

The bad: A little smutty, but not more then typical for the genre. Some of the funniest jokes were just kids cursing. Seann William Scott plays the “stiffler” character again. “Do what makes you happy” message in the movie has not quite been proven by the plot.

Memorable quotes:

Sweeny: You can’t bullshit a bullshiter!

Ronnie: Suck it, “Reindeer Games!”
Danny: I’m not Ben Affleck.
Ronnie: You white, then you Ben Affleck.

The summary: Great fun. Great cast: Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Seann William Scott, both kids - great chemistry and lots of jokes. Funny and touching. Go see it.

The cast: Wheeler - Seann William Scott | Danny Donahue - Paul Rudd | Augie Farks - Christopher Mintz-Plasse | Ronnie Shields - Bobb’e J. Thompson | Beth - Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri Make a Porno, W., 40 Year Old Virgin, Definitely, Maybe) | Gayle Sweeny - Jane Lynch (40 Year Old Virgin) | King Argotron - Ken Jeong (Pineapple Express, Knocked Up) | Isabel - Amanda Righetti | Linda the Teacher - Jessica Morris

The crew: Director - David Wain | Writers - Paul Rudd, David Wain, Ken Marino, Timothy Dowling | Producers - Luke Greenfield, Dan Kolsrud, Mary Parent, Matthew Seigel, William Sherak, Jason Shuman, Scott Stuber | Original Music - Craig Wedren | Cinematography - Russ T. Alsobrook | Editing - Eric Kissack