Russell Brand is back as outrageous, hedonistic rock and roll star Aldous Snow. After the massive failure of his latest CD, and fresh from being dumped by his superstar girlfriend, Snow is on a binge of sex, drugs and rock and roll, but a young fan has an idea to bring him back into the spotlight for all of the right reasons.
Music company intern Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) wants to celebrate the ten year anniversary of Snow's monumental performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles with a new concert, and his boss, Sergio (P.Diddy Combs), assigns him the task of bringing the rock star across the Atlantic, but it won't be easy as Aldous seems hell bent on doing anything and everything possible to sabotage his comeback.
Can Aaron survive the rock star lifestyle and ego?
Does Aldous have it within him to bounce back from adversity and play the show?
Get Him To The Greek has all of the ingredients for a wild comedy in the spirit of Superbad, The 40-Year Old Virgin and all of the other Judd Apatow movies. We get a heaping helping of randy, dirty, outrageous humor, along with a generous sprinkling of sentimentality, but Get Him To The Greek doesn't need the sappiness.
The movie excels when writer/director Nicholas Stoller lets it all hang out. Brand has a naughty charm that makes the rock star character fun to watch as he lives a life of debauchery that repulses and intrigues the audience. We want to hear him let loose with the outrageous dialogue, act inappropriately and be the stereotypical music god.
You think Keith Richards knows how to party? Snow can keep up with him. Those are Brand's strengths, and he also throws in a bit of shocking wisdom to keep Snow from becoming a cartoon, which was a brilliant move.
Then, Hill does a great job being the uptight, scared, shy guy who is shocked at what he is witnessing and participating in. While Aaron usually spends his time watching Gossip Girl with his girlfriend, Daphne (Elisabeth Moss), and dreams of living the rock star life, Hill is perfect as the guy who can't handle it when he falls into the rock star life (or, to be more accurate, has it thrust upon him). He's a nice, sweet guy way in over his head, and it's obvious to everyone because Hill makes it that way, so we can laugh at it.
Hill and Brand make a great pair with one pushing the other to the extremes, while the other tries to make the one face reality, and Combs inserts the right amount of foul mouthed humor when he isn't trying too hard.
However, Get Him To The Greek is uneven. At times, it is the fast paced, anything can happen, wild comedy with surprising cameos that makes you laugh and cry for more.
At other times, Stoller slows it down too much with the emotional, dramatic moments we don't care about. We don't need to put the brakes on this out of control ride. We want it to be out of control, and go further and faster than we ever imagined.
No one needs to learn a lesson or come to some life affirming decision. Just ride the wave until the crazy ending.
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Get Him To The Greek is rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language.
Can Aaron survive the rock star lifestyle and ego?
Does Aldous have it within him to bounce back from adversity and play the show?
Get Him To The Greek has all of the ingredients for a wild comedy in the spirit of Superbad, The 40-Year Old Virgin and all of the other Judd Apatow movies. We get a heaping helping of randy, dirty, outrageous humor, along with a generous sprinkling of sentimentality, but Get Him To The Greek doesn't need the sappiness.
The movie excels when writer/director Nicholas Stoller lets it all hang out. Brand has a naughty charm that makes the rock star character fun to watch as he lives a life of debauchery that repulses and intrigues the audience. We want to hear him let loose with the outrageous dialogue, act inappropriately and be the stereotypical music god.
You think Keith Richards knows how to party? Snow can keep up with him. Those are Brand's strengths, and he also throws in a bit of shocking wisdom to keep Snow from becoming a cartoon, which was a brilliant move.
Then, Hill does a great job being the uptight, scared, shy guy who is shocked at what he is witnessing and participating in. While Aaron usually spends his time watching Gossip Girl with his girlfriend, Daphne (Elisabeth Moss), and dreams of living the rock star life, Hill is perfect as the guy who can't handle it when he falls into the rock star life (or, to be more accurate, has it thrust upon him). He's a nice, sweet guy way in over his head, and it's obvious to everyone because Hill makes it that way, so we can laugh at it.
Hill and Brand make a great pair with one pushing the other to the extremes, while the other tries to make the one face reality, and Combs inserts the right amount of foul mouthed humor when he isn't trying too hard.
However, Get Him To The Greek is uneven. At times, it is the fast paced, anything can happen, wild comedy with surprising cameos that makes you laugh and cry for more.
At other times, Stoller slows it down too much with the emotional, dramatic moments we don't care about. We don't need to put the brakes on this out of control ride. We want it to be out of control, and go further and faster than we ever imagined.
No one needs to learn a lesson or come to some life affirming decision. Just ride the wave until the crazy ending.
2 ½ Waffles (Out of 4)
Get Him To The Greek is rated R for strong sexual content and drug use throughout, and pervasive language.
