But the mixed reaction to Ronnie’s attitude and language adds an edge to the film. And, given his tender age, it is unexpectedly entertaining while sometimes unnerving. The entire film is laced with foul language, but it spews out in greatest excess from Ronnie. Thompson), a ‘booby-loving,’ porn cartoon-drawing, elementary school kid fit to beat a sailor at a swearing contest. McLovin), is a glasses-wearing, cape-sporting kid obsessed with his medieval fantasy world, LAIRE.’ Wheeler meets his alter ego in miniature form in Ronnie (Bobb’e J. Danny’s Little, Augie (Christopher Mintz-Plasse, a.k.a. Gayle, who overcame a diet of ‘cocaine for breakfast, lunch and dinner’ sets the friends up for failure by placing them with an extreme nerd and an ultimate badass.

Their initiation into ‘Sturdy Wings’ introduces them to ex-addict Gayle (Jane Lynch), who runs the program. Instead of 30 days in jail, they opt to act as ‘Bigs’ in a Big Brother/Big Sister-esque mentor program called ‘Sturdy Wings.’ Sentenced to 150 hours of quality time with their ‘Littles’ brings not only obstacles and laughs, but also self-discovery. His cynicism is so extreme that it even rubs off on his usually easy-going, carefree counterpart, Wheeler, as both must endure the consequences. Danny’s usual negativity is at an extreme level during this day from hell when he loses both his girlfriend and his job. Danny and Wheeler, who is the spokesman and minotaur mascot for a Shrek-pee-inducing energy drink, begin their journey by choosing mentorship over prison after getting arrested for crashing their work truck (pimped out as a bull, complete with a silver-hooped nose ring). It follows friends Danny (Paul Rudd) and Wheeler (Seann William Scott) as they combat work, relationships, kids, an ex-junkie and each other. This battle sets the concluding scene of ‘Role Models,’ a new comedy directed by David Wain, who is a former correspondent on ‘The Daily Show.’ ‘Role Models’ is a coming-of-age tale for both the flick’s children and adults. It’d be even more satisfying if this movie got him the plum comic roles he deserves.Role Models Starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott Directed by David Wain New Regency… Role Models Starring Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott Directed by David Wain New Regency Pictures What occasion is so special that it unites ‘American Pie’s’ Stifler, ‘Clueless’s’ Josh, ‘Superbad’s’ McLovin, ‘Reno 911’s’ Trudy and ‘W’s’ Laura Bush?’ A championship duel at a medieval fantasy battle, of course. In the last scene of Role Models, Rudd turns one of the oldest tricks in the rom-com playbook-the public serenading of one’s lady-into a thoroughly satisfying ending. And why isn’t Paul Rudd in greater demand as a romantic comedy lead? He’s handsome, funny, and smart (he co-wrote this movie with Wain, and many of his best lines sound like on-set improvisation), yet he always seems to be hanging around the corners of other people’s movies (the lovelorn co-worker in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, the stoned surf instructor in Forgetting Sarah Marshall). Role Models may not set its sights very high, but it comes by its emotional payoff honestly. I found the Ronnie character gratingly Gary Coleman-esque, but the rest of the audience seemed to love his R-rated non sequiturs.Įspecially after Kevin Smith’s emotionally stunted Zack and Miri Make a Porno, it’s nice to see a dirty-minded romantic comedy (is there any other kind of romantic comedy these days?) in which the sweetness doesn’t seem slapped onto the raunch like bad store-bought icing.

And though Seann William Scott seems to have only one character in his repertoire-the glazed-eyed, full-throttle party animal-he plays it with a manic energy that’s a fine foil for Rudd’s anomie. “I just hate having dinner with people.”) Mintz-Plasse, who played the similarly nerdy McLovin in Superbad, gets across Augie’s neediness without compromising the character’s dignity.

(“It’s not you,” he assures Augie’s parents as he turns down their dinner invitation. His depressed, affectless Danny remains likable even as he rejects all attempts at human connection. Rudd is the rare actor who can make disengagement engaging. The middle section of the movie, in which Danny dispiritedly phones in his big-brothering performance, has most of the best jokes (at least up until the weirdly exhilarating final action sequence, which I’ll leave unspoiled except to note that it involves both LARP and KISS).

Paul rudd role models