Role Models [DVD]

Paul Rudd and Sean William Scott star in Role Models as Danny and Wheeler, two salesmen who trash a company truck on an energy drink-fuelled bender. Upon their arrest, the court gives them a choice: do hard time or spend 150 service hours with a mentorship programme. After one day with the kids, however, jail doesn’t look half badounded by annoying do-gooders, Danny struggles with his every neurotic impulse to guide Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) through the trials of becoming a man. Unfortunately, the guy just dumped by his girlfriend (Elizabeth Banks) has only sarcasm to offer a bashful 16-year-old obsessed with medieval role playwhile, charming Wheeler tries to trade in an addiction to partying and women to assist a fifth-grader named Ronnie (Bobb’e Thompson) to redirect his foul-mouthed ways. It would probably help if Ronnie’s new mentor wasn’t an overgrown adolescent whose idea of quality time includes keggers in Venice Beach the centre’s ex-con director (Jane Lynch) gives them an ultimatum, Danny and Wheeler are forced to tailor their brand of immature wisdom to their charges. And if they can just make it through probation without getting thrown in jail, the world’s worst role models will prove that, sometimes, it takes a village idiot to raise a child.

Raunchy, but not nauseating, Role Models is an exceptionally funny slacker comedy co-written by Paul Rudd. Rudd stars as Danny, one-half of a team (along with Seann William Scott’s character, Wheeler) that visits schools on behalf of a power-drink company. With his lack of enthusiasm for work and his life painfully evident, Danny loses his live-in girlfriend, Beth (Elizabeth Banks), and soon has a run-in with the law resulting in community service for him and Wheeler. Ordered to appear at a Big Brothers-like organisation, Danny is partnered with a lonely if brilliant adolescent boy, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), while Wheeler is hooked up with a foul-mouthed pre-teen named Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Thompson). Neither of the men has anything in common with their charges, a fact exacerbated when Danny reluctantly attends Augie’s participation in a weekend role-playing fantasy game with a medieval flavour. Meanwhile, Wheeler just tries to survive his ongoing power struggle with Ronnie. Both sets of relationships improve when Danny and Wheeler begin to meet their kids halfway and even learn to empathise with them, though the results are sometimes comically bumpy before the characters all hit their groove. There are a number of hilarious scenes (the film definitely deserves its R rating) and more than a few thoughtful ones, including a terrific moment where Danny defends Augie to the latter’s critical parents over an awkward dinner. Jane Lynch is very funny as a semi-insane director of the program pairing kids and adults, and Banks (W.) is very appealing as Danny’s unhappy ex-girlfriend. –Tom Keogh