Movie Review: Adopt ‘Step Brothers’ … on DVD

Two unemployed 40-ish sons are forced to move in together when their parents get married. The scenario sets up the silly to be right on par.

That is if we’re watching a 10-minute skit. Will Ferrell and Adam McKay stretch the man-child shtick into a mind-numbing 95 minutes in their latest collaboration “Step Brothers” — and the result is annoyingly obnoxious.

The paper-thin plot revolves around ex-Petsmart employee Brennan (Ferrell, who should be ashamed for duping us out of 10 of our hard earned dollars) and Dale (John C. Reilly--double shame on this Oscar caliber actor) — whose main job is managing a football team, a fantasy football team.

The T-shirt donning fellows watch television all day and feast on meals of melted cheese nachos (must be nice, just not to watch). Everything is all hunky dory until Brennan’s mom Nancy (Mary Steenburgen doing her best with the subject matter), and Dale’s doctor dad Robert (Richard Jenkins) meet and fall madly in love. Now the boys will have to live under the same roof with their respective parents, so the weird factor is cranked up to the nth degree.

Not only are the underachievers forced to share a house, they have to live in the same room because Dale keeps his prized drum set in the spare room. Of course, a myriad snafus and shakedowns ensue.

Can you see how a situation like this might get a little vulgar? Let’s just put it this way — there’s enough crotch humor in this one to fill your quota for the year (the times, they are a changing).

To be a little more clear about scenes you might see — Brennan ends up putting a part of his male anatomy on Dale’s drum set, and there’s at least a 20 second close-up shot of that. Where Ferrell and friends have been somewhat family friendly in the past, they aren’t so much here.

The stepbrothers’ shenanigans quickly get out of hand which results in physical comedy running amok, amok, amok. B and D constantly pound each other. Which is chuckle-evoking the first two or three times, but by the time Dale knocks his new bro out with a cymbal, rolls him in a carpet and tries to bury him alive the eyes will roll to the back of your skull. Mom and dad do ground the boys for fighting — and even take away their television for a week. Heck, “Step Brothers” will probably feel like punishment to some.

Don’t fret extreme Ferrell fans, there are some laugh out loud moments. When Brennan does an a cappella rendition of a Guns N’ Roses tunes there’s a glimmer of comedic genius.

Another highlight would have to be Adam Scott playing Brennan’s successful brother Derek. His bravado is so grand and therefore so pathetic it helps break up the monotonous vulgarities.

And if you care to see Ferrell and Reilly beat up a bunch of schoolchildren — yeah, that‘s how far McKay takes it — stay for the credits.

It’s just impossible to defend this as cinema. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. Tsk, tsk Mr. Ferrell. Better be careful about doing another one of these stinkers. Even the most die-hard fans of the curly-topped one will think twice about forking over their dough next time after seeing this stinker.

Adrienne Mackey is a freelance movie reviewer. Hear her talk a lot more about movies on “The KLPX WakeUp Call with Scott Barnett” weekday mornings from 5 to 10 a.m. on 96.1 KLPX.

The Details

1.5/4 Stars

Comedy

Run time: 95 minutes.

Rated R for crude and sexual content, and pervasive language.

Starring: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Mary Steenburgen, Richard Jenkins, Seth Rogen, Horatio Sanz.

Written by: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay.

Directed by: Adam McKay.