Step Brothers

Having worked together as writers and actors on “Saturday Night Live” and making the leap to movies together in such films as “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy” and “Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby,” Will Ferrell and Adam McKay are no strangers to one another. Regrettably, their latest collaboration, “Step Brothers,” is not strange to the viewers; this film has a big case of “been there, done that.”

This film, which opened nationwide on July 25, reunites Ferrell, who plays Brennan Huff, with John C. Reilly, his wingman from “Talladega Nights,” playing Dale Boback. Both Brennan and Dale are early-forties ne’er-do-wells with no jobs and no prospects. The two are introduced when Brennan’s mother and Dale’s father get married, and they move in with their parents and settle into their roles as stepbrothers. The two adults with “Peter Pan” syndrome (never want to grow up) become quick enemies, each trying to make the other look bad in the parents’ eyes. When their constant bickering and fighting threatens to tear the family apart, the two try to patch things up and get their lives on track. Veteran actors Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins round out the cast as the two parents of these adult children.

Little positive can be said about this sophomoric waste of time—when will Hollywood stop producing this nonsense—when will people stop spending their money on this garbage? Will Ferrell, is a comedic genius, and he has proven his mettle time after time, but his latest films seem to play down to his audiences, and he seems satisfied playing the has-been or never-was who is willing to say or do anything for a cheap laugh. This film is a sight gag snoozefest—replete with exposed genitalia, gross sexual references, and f-bombs galore! They were clearly playing to an eighteen year old audience who could giggle at every little curse word; it could have been a kindergarten classroom and one of the young children said “poop” and the whole class would laugh.

The film’s central message about blended families coming together “could” have gone somewhere, but the plot gets lost somewhere in the process.

Suffice it to say, Christians should avoid this movie; there is nothing redeeming about it. This writer would rather not even waste any more words on this nonsense.

Violence: Moderate / Profanity: Extreme / Sex/Nudity: Heavy

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