United by fate

Aug 27 2008 Pierce Hunt, Surrey Herald

WILL Ferrell has an unmatchable talent for delivering classic comedy gold when he co-writes with Adam McKay (Anchorman and Talledega Nights).

And Step Brothers is no exception. Sure it's stupid, vulgar and downright disgusting, but the sheer number of laugh-out-loud moments throughout the film smashes any other comedy released this year out of the park.

Thankfully, Ferrell is back to his best (after a slight dip with Semi-Pro) alongside John C Reilly.

Brennan Huff (Ferrell) and Dale Doback (Reilly) are two adolescent eegits, who are pushing 40 and still live at home with their respective single parents. That is until the two parents have a whirlwind romance and end up tying the knot.

Brennan's mother Nancy (Mary Steenburgen) and Dale's father Robert (Richard Jenkins) decide it would be best for everyone if the new family unit moved in with Richard and Dale.

The two guys' noses are seriously put out of joint. Dale soon lays down the ground rules for Brennan: "You better not close your eyes, because as soon as you do, I'm going to punch you in the face."

After initial bickering and name calling, the two quickly unite with a firm hatred of Brennan's younger, more successful brother, Derek (Adam Scott). His constant ridiculing of the two and incessant gloating begins to grind the gears of the new best buddies. But his apparent perfect life is exposed as a complete façade as his wife Alice (Kathryn Hahn) throws herself at Dale at every opportunity, demanding he satisfy her there and then.

There are a bucket load of memorable quotes, and crazy antics, many of which have nothing to do with the storyline. You get the feeling that a lot of the funnier moments are completely impromptu, and reminiscent of NBC's Saturday Night Live.

The narrative can seem a little lost at times, but the random one-liners and outbursts just add to the hilarity. Richard Jenkins' role as the patient, yet disappointed father, unleashes a sucker punch of a revelation when he tells Dale and Brennan that he always wanted to be a dinosaur. Okay, so this makes no sense at all, but it's the delivery that is pure genius from a man who is famed for his sombre, straight-faced roles.

8/10