If media or real-life experience can agree on one fundamental truth: it’s that living with siblings can be a handful at times. I can currently remember the times I would be caught in the middle of my brothers’ antics, the brotherly love we have when trading barbs with each other or being immature together with our sense of humor. It’s also a popular trope to see how a blended family can have unexpected stepsibling either bicker or befriend each other leading to various slapstick along the way. For this review, we’ll look at a film that takes this familiar premise and provides a moderately hilarious take with Will Ferrell and John C. Reily teaming up together.
“Step Brothers” is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Adam McKay, produced by Jimmy Miller and Judd Apatow, and written by comedy actor Will Ferrell and McKay from a story idea by Ferrell, McKay, and John C. Reilly. This hilariously fun comedy film features performances including Ferrell, Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen, Adam Scott, Kathryn Hahn, Andrea Savage, Lurie Poston, Logan Manus, and Gillian Vigman. “Step Brothers” has received mixed reviews with praise toward it’s immature humor, excellent chemistry between Ferrell and Reilly, cheerful energy and great jokes, but criticized its mean-spirited angle, forgettable side plots, uninteresting stakes, crass jokes and predictable main story.
“Step Brothers” follows two slacker Los Angles adults named Brennen (Ferrell) and Dale (Rielly), who suddenly become stepsiblings after the former’s mother (Steenburgen) marries the latter’s father (Jenkins). While the two are at first at odds with each other, the two become fast friends due to their love of music and their shared immaturity. However, their peace is shattered when they are given the ultimatum to find jobs and their own housing in one month or be kicked out, which leads the two to try to sabotage the move or find new avenues of job with disastrous results. Also along for the ride is Brennen’s smug brother (Scott) and his neglected wife (Hahn), who both add plenty of chaos to this newfound family already chaotic household as the newlyweds plan their honeymoon. Will the brother’s new family or even their own livelihoods survive this comedic family take filled with trials and pratfalls?
What I liked: “Step Brothers” is an enjoyable movie that has plenty of comedy and heart to its story that comedy fans can enjoy and watch again. Adam McKay does a great job with the direction for this film, along with writing the story with Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly telling a good family comedy story with plenty of good jokes and crass humor. Additionally, the movie does have some funny situations and memorable jokes that audiences can repeat with their friends, leading to its fun appeal. There is a funny joke where the two leads try to avoid a bully, who turns out to be a middle school kid and leads to a hilarious fight scene in the film’s post credits scene. The casting for this movie is solid with highlights performances with Ferrell, Reilly, Steenburgen, Jenkins, Scott and Hahn that have some good energy to their deliveries and have good chemistry together. Another strong suit for this movie is the soundtrack choice that incorporates some classic rock and modern music into a fun blend that fits the themes of the movie including a great cover performance with Ferrell and Reilly. The cinematography for this movie is also splendid with its great camera shots and angles along with its neat editing that pulls the film together. Finally, the film’s runtime of ninety-eight minutes manages to have the film be a short yet fun experience for any audience looking to have a funny movie night with family or friends.
What I Disliked: Honestly, I felt that most of the premise and humor of “Step Brothers” was both predictable and lacked substance to its story. You can tell some of the plot beats a story like might have such as the brothers arguing with each other, the family splitting up and a cheesy yet fun event that brings everything back together. I also felt that some of the side elements or stories were also painfully underdeveloped or didn’t have a proper pay-off. One example is how Katheryn Hahn’s character has a one-sided affair with Reilly’s character which is brought up randomly and doesn’t contribute that much to the story. Additionally, I felt that some of the humorous moments and interactions between the main two falters in the second and third act of the movie. The jokes and predictable story moments just felt a bit boring to watch at times. Finally, I felt that the movie’s message about growing up from immaturity while nice, was a bit meddling and rushed to the overarching story. The premise could have used more time and creativity to explore that dynamic.
Highlights: One of the highlights of “Step Brothers” is the amazing on-screen chemistry between Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly as the titular stepsiblings Brennan and Dale. The two actors are incredibly likable and play off each other well with their shared immature adult characters that have great timing and energy to their performances. Whether or not a joke is good or not, the two can make it work together thanks to their bombastic deliveries and how they can come up with a fun spin to deliver a great laugh while being relatable to viewers who have siblings. One of my favorite moments in the movie is a scene where Brennen and Dale begin to realize how alike they are and end up becoming best friends. Finally, “Step Brothers” features some hilarious jokes and idea thanks to the movie’s premise that audiences can find relatable if you ever been in various antics with your siblings. You can easily have fun and laugh at some of the film’s scenes like the two stepsiblings goofing around, getting into fights with each other and trying to get into some hairbrained scheme that usually backfires. One highlight moment is when Brennen and Dale try to turn their beds into a bunk-bed and make a shoddy attempt using various objects and a rushed DIY job to make it before it collapses. Families that love comedy movies with a bit of edge will certainly have a good time with this movie.
Rating: 3/5
MPAA Rating: R
“Step Brothers” is available to stream on Peacock.
Fun Facts: Director Adam McKay initially wanted to write this film as a drama instead of a comedy film. Additionally, McKay appears in a cameo role as one of the job interviewers that Ferrell and Reilly’s character talks with when they try to get jobs. The playground bully that beats up the two main characters, Chris Gardocki, is named after an NFL punter of the same name who played for the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers. In a bit of talent and realism for the movie, Will Ferrell did his own singing while John C. Reilly performed the drums at the film’s climax. This movie marks second collaboration between Will Ferrell and Kathryn Hahn who had previously worked together in the 2004 comedy “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”. Both Reilly and Hahn would collaborate again in the 2012 comedy film “The Dictator”, but Reilly’s scene was cut from the final product. According to the director’s commentary, John C. Reilly met Richard Jenkins in Chicago, when Jenkins worked with Reilly’s father when the former was around six years old. The book that Mary Steenburgen’s character Nancy reads during the bunk bed scene is titled “Walking on Eggshells: Navigating the Delicate Relationship Between Adult Children and Parents” by Jane Islay. Finally, actor Joaquin Phoenix has gone on record saying that he has seen “Step Brothers” more times than he has seen for any other movie he has watched and considers it his favorite movie.
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