| Family Matters | ||
| Step Brothers | ||
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| Review by Ross Anthony | ||
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I'm a fan of Will Ferrell, but even more -- a fan of John C. Reilly. Still, I expected this film to come up a little short. I was wrong. Despite so much screen time dependent on their natural funniness, Ferrell and Reilly don't falter. Their sense of comedic energy and friendship are well matched, and they've got great chemistry together. Add to that a great supporting cast. Steenburgen and Jenkins are solid as the boys parents (although, I secretly would have liked "Coach" in the dad role). And Adam Scott as the younger brother aptly brings to the film a bad guy you love to hate. Improvements? The first and second acts are developed well, but the third act could have used a little more attention. More specifically, the "jobs" sequence needed more scenes, we didn't get enough of the "and time passes" feeling to justify the internal changes of the step brothers and the father. I think this was a missed opportunity to give the production some added depth. That said, and despite it, the climax still successfully impacts emotively. As with other Apatow pictures you can expect a certain amount of obscenity. Overall, not an out of the park home run, but a solid hit. |
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Grade..........................A- (3/4) |
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Copyright © 1998-2023 Ross Anthony, Author - Speaker - Solo World Circumnavigator In addition to reviewing films and interviewing celebs at HollywoodReportCard.com, traveling the world, composing great music, motivational speaking, Mr. Anthony also runs his own publishing company in the Los Angeles area. While traversing the circumference of the planet writing books and shooting documentaries, Mr. Anthony has taught, presented for, worked &/or played with locals in over 30 countries & 100 cities (Nairobi to Nagasaki). He's bungee-jumped from a bridge near Victoria Falls, wrestled with lions in Zimbabwe, crashed a Vespa off a high mountain road in Taiwan, and ridden a dirt bike across the States (Washington State to Washington DC). To get signed books ("Rodney Appleseed" to "Jinshirou") or schedule Ross to speak check out: www.RossAnthony.com or call 1-800-767-7186.
Go into the world and inspire the people you meet with your love, kindness, and whatever it is you're really good at. Check out books by Ross Anthony. Rand() functions, Pho chicken soup, rollerblading, and frozen yogurt (w/ blueberries) also rock! (Btw, rand is short for random. It can also stand for "Really Awkward Nutty Dinosaurs" -- which is quite rand, isn't it?) Being alive is the miracle. Special thanks to Ken Kocanda, HAL, Jodie Keszek, Don Haderlein, Mom and Pops, my family, R. Foss, and many others by Ross Anthony. Galati-FE also deserves a shout out. And thanks to all of you for your interest and optimism. Enjoy great films, read stirring novels, grow. |
