Adam McKay harnesses the chemistry of Ferrell and Reilly that worked in Talladega Nights to tell the tale of two warring step-siblings. The difference being that these are 40-something men that have yet to fly the parental nest.
Reprising the familiar man-child role, Ferrell veers away from the sports-related one-man showreel that somewhat smothered the fumbled Semi-Pro to allow more of an ensemble. The ad-libbed style of the frat-pack movies results in a barrage of quotable lines like “Your voice is like a cross between Fergie and a unicorn”, and silly set pieces; dog poo and unique drum playing are highlights.
This scattershot approach means that plot suffers. A skewered take on the Meet the Parents set-up of mis-matched families, you never really care about any of the characters.
Unoriginal it may be, but it’s a pretty funny, profanity laden, lowbrow comedy that’s worth spending some family time with.
[etRating value=“ 3”]
