Movie Info
Movie Name: Step Brothers
Studio: Relativity Media
Genre(s): Comedy
Release Date(s): July 25, 2008
MPAA Rating: R
Enemies…then friends…forever!!!
When Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) and Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen) meet at a conference, sparks immediately begin to fly. Everything seems perfect, but both Robert and Nancy have a problem—their live-at-home “children” Dale (John C. Reilly) and Brennan (Will Ferrell). When Robert and Nancy marry, the blended family might be too much for Dale and Brennan who are immediately at odds, but the only thing worse than Dale and Brennan fighting is if they team-up.
Directed by Adam McKay, Step Brothers is a comedy written by McKay and Will Ferrell. The movie was met with mixed reviews but a strong box-office reception.
Will Ferrell is hit or miss for me, but I generally always like John C. Reilly. Reilly made me decide to try the movie, but due to the intentionally inane nature of the film, Step Brothers ended up being one of my favorite Will Ferrell films.
I hate you…
Step Brothers is just plain weird in its script. The movie flirts with surreal but doesn’t fully commit to it which leaves it in this weird limbo. For me, that works, but I can see how it can be off-putting for others. It is the real aspects of the movie mixed with the surreal that I think are more fun and some of the surreal stuff goes too over-the-top (like the sleepwalking).
The cast is fantastic and really sells the movie. For much of the movie Ferrell is the somewhat straight man to the much more wacky Reilly (they both are wacky but Ferrell is slightly more grounded). Adam Scott plays the great “ass” brother and even appearance by Seth Rogen becomes tolerable. I really, really like the teaming of Richard Jenkins and Mary Steenburgen who slide nicely into this weird surreal-real world…and even as the official “straight men”, they have some of the best lines.
It’s the f*!@ing Catalina Wine Mixer!
The movie is kind of stylized in its shooting, but for the most part looks like a standard comedy. It makes good use of locations like the Catalina Wine Mixer (or the F*@$ing Catalina Wine Mixer as it is generally referred to in the film), but I particularly like the costume designs for both Ferrell and Reilly in their slob attire…it is perfect.
Step Brothers isn’t for everyone but something about it hits a chord for me. The movie is inane humor, but I find myself quoting the movie quite often (“Your voice is like a combination of Fergie and Jesus…This is gonna sound weird, but for a second, I think you took on the shape of a unicorn”). Step Brothers is full of goofy lines like this that make me enjoy watching it again and again.
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