Dinner for Schmucks is the third movie that stars both Paul Rudd and Steve Carell, but it’s far different from The 40-Year-Old-Virgin or Anchorman. Instead, Dinner for Schmucks is a lighthearted, but largely forgettable comedy that wastes the cast’s best efforts. It’s oddly formulaic for such a promising premise, full of the same misunderstandings and mishaps that we’ve all seen too many times before.

The movie stars Rudd as Tim, an executive who is looking to rise up the ranks of his company. In order to do so, he has to attend his boss’ dinner. There’s just one caveat: each employee has to bring an idiot to dinner, and the biggest idiot wins that employee a promotion. Carell plays Barry, who is Rudd’s guest. Naturally, Rudd plays his impressive straight-man self as usual, while Carell does his best to make lame jokes that are usually in a sixth-grade boy’s repertoire even remotely funny to an audience. He is actually fairly successful, offering a more hit than miss performance, though I will say that Barry’s taxidermy hobby is actually quite impressive rather than something to mock.

Jemaine Clement, most notably from the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords, gives the funniest performance of the movie as an eccentric artist, though I could never get over the fact that, with his long hair and witty, sometimes existential, one-liners, he reminded me of Russell Brand’s Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek.

Dinner for Schmucks certainly had more potential, especially if it had decided to dive headfirst into the slapstick route, but the story and characters consistently stay safe and relatively stale. The dinner itself, which should have been the pay-off to an entire movie full of build-up, comes off as rushed and is one of the more lackluster moments of the entire movie. Even Zach Galifianakis’ eccentric brand of comedy can’t thrive in this.

That being said, Dinner for Schmucks is not a terrible movie, but the writing sure does border on it. Like Carell’s Date Night, the performances bring this movie back from the edge of a volcano full of wretchedness. However, even they can’t stop Schmucks from being lumped in with the rest of the movies that have helped to make this one of the longest, most bland years for film in recent memory.

It’s never a bad thing to see Paul Rudd and Steve Carell working together, but Dinner for Schmucks should only whet the appetite for a movie that might never come: Anchorman 2.

Stepping aside from The Office has opened the door even further for Steve Carell to land more big screen roles playing socially awkward timid and or weird guys who aren’t very funny. According to Risky Business, DreamWorks has acquired rights to a comedy pitch called Raised By Wolfs, which Carell will star in and produce. “Wolfs” is apparently the character’s last name, hence the oh so clever misspelling. Wocka, wocka!

I have nothing against Carell. He comes across as a likable guy and he’s been money at the box office lately. That being said, his act is getting old. I loved him on The Daily Show, and Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin were good for a few big laughs, but none of the stuff he’s done since has impressed me. Evan Almighty, Dan in Real Life and Get Smart were entirely forgettable and Tina Fey saved Date Night from disaster. Dinner for Schmucks looks… um… bad. (Of course that won’t prevent it from banking serious coin this weekend.)

Problem is, Carell is pretty much a one trick pony. Like Chevy Chase back in the ’80s, playing the same character over and over will only take you so far. Stevie boy is riding a huge wave of success right now, but it won’t last much longer if he doesn’t branch out from the oddball outcast character. Eventually, audiences will grow tired of his schtick.

Well, folks, this one’s for the kiddies.

Despicable Me is about a supervillain named Gru who comes up with a plan to pull off the greatest crime of the century by stealing the moon. So he adopts three orphan girls to sneak inside the lab of an up-and-coming supervillain named Vector, steal his shrink ray and beat him to the punch before he winds up broke as a joke. Only problem is that Gru never expected these three little’uns to warm his cold, dead heart the way they do and he eventually has to decide what’s more important to him – being evil or being loved.

Awwwwww.

For the most part, I’m totally on board with animated movies these days. Pixar is arguably at the top of their game right now and continue to put out some of the best – if not the best – movies each year, and with How to Train Your Dragon landing itself on my Top Five of 2010 list for the time being, it’s nice to see Dreamworks following suit, too. The point is, the bar has been raised. Animated movies aren’t just for kids anymore, they’re some of the funniest, affecting and well-written ways to spend 12 bucks and two hours regardless of age or gender and they’re a hell of a lot better than most of the movies out there featuring real-life human beings.

Unfortunately, Despicable Me does not meet this standard.

Then again, I almost feel kinda bad railing on this movie because it’s not exactly aiming to please all the twenty-something, foul-mouthed movie critics in the house. On the other hand, fuck that noise. If Pixar and Dreamworks can make me laugh and cry just as hard as my seven-year-old brother, then why shouldn’t this movie?

But they must be doing something right because the producers here rangled up one hell of a cast of voice actors.

Steve Carell is good as Gru, Jason Segel is intolerable as Vector, an unrecognizable Russell Brand is great as Gru’s assisstant, Dr. Nefario, Will Arnett gets the most out of that “club sauce” voice of his as a Bank of Evil (formerly Lehman Brothers) loan officer, Mr. Perkins, Julie Andrews as Gru’s Mom, Kristen Wiig as the orphan queen, Miss Hattie, Miranda Cosgrove who’s actually really good as the oldest orphan, Margo, and then there’s bit roles from Jemaine Clement, Danny McBride and Mindy Kaling to top it all off.

Yes, that is an awesome cast, but the real bummer of it all is that in the long run, it doesn’t even matter. With the exception of one comment from Brand about the impracticality of inventing a fart gun, I didn’t laugh once during this movie. Sure, I smiled here and there, but it’s one of those weird situations where it’s at once trying way too hard and not really trying at all. Just so many on-the-nose gags where someone shoots a squid onto someone head and then the guy goes, “Someone shot a squid on my head!” and we’re all supposed to laugh but I just sit there silently thinking, “Any one of these second graders could have written that.” It’s just hard to laugh when you’ve heard it all before, I guess.

And then there’s the emotional aspect of the script, and that was a mess, too. You’d think Gru or Vector would be the ones with the most evil tendencies going for them, but for some reason they pale in comparison to some of the more minor characters. First there’s the woman who runs the orphanage who puts the girls in cardboard “Boxes of Shame” and makes a point to remind them, “You know you’re never going to be adopted, right?” Well, that’s subtle. And then there’s a theme park carnie who effing shoves it one of the orphan girl’s faces when she can’t win the game at his concession stand like she just called his mother a whore. Ugh, just aggravates me when movies beat me over the head with this kind of crap. And while it does get unbelievably weepy and lovey-dovey towards the end, it’s better to be on that end of the spectrum than the one this starts out on.

I don’t know, if I had seen this as part of my second grade birthday party instead of feeling like I had just crashed some kid’s second grade birthday party, I probably would have gone absolutely bananas over Despicable Me. But with the way things are now, I didn’t find a whole lot worth enjoying not being anywhere near the target audience. All the same, there were a lot of parents in the crowd who seemed to be laughing right along with the kids, and I don’t know if that’s just ’cause parents don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to go to the movies, but whatever, I seemed to be in the minority. It’s not very original, it’s not very funny either, but it’s got sweetness to spare and your kids’ friends will be talking for years about how it was “The Best Second Grade Birthday Party EVER!!!”

Oh, and even though I just saw it good old fashioned 2-D, I’m gonna go ahead and recommend you don’t waste your money on the hi-tech Roy Orbison shades this time around. Just more gimmicky crap that looks like it’s about to stab you in the eye or fool you into thinking you’re on a roller coaster. Just go to Six Flags and stare at the tip of a pencil for a while. Trust me, it’s a freakin’ rush.

VERDICT:
5/10 Daddy Warbucks

To read more reviews from Aiden Redmond, also be sure to check out Cut The Crap Movie Reviews.

The Office, easily one of the best sitcoms on television, is currently going through its sixth season, and has been renewed for a seventh. For those who are devout fans of the show, this comes as nothing but good news. For the rest of us who were once big fans of the show, the last few seasons (at least the last two) have felt like a completely different show, losing what made the show so appealing in the first place. Those involved with the show aren’t completely at fault, as this just might be a show that has simply run its course.

With the rest of the new episodes of the sixth season starting on April 22nd, one has to wonder if the seventh season will finally be it. What made the show so amazing in the first place was the fact that it simply highlighted the doldrums of working in an office through a mundane staff and an eccentric boss. But that can only go on for so long. Eventually, there was going to have to be some character development, and the writers of The Office began to explore the rest of the office. Rather than keeping everything quirky, the show aimed for broader humor and seemed to lose the original direction of all its characters. For instance, the audience always wondered how Michael Scott kept his job at Dunder Mifflin, but lately, I’m really wondering how he continues to stick around, and not in a he’s-so-goofy-how-does-he-do-it way. It has honestly become a distraction.

As for the other big story arc of the show, the relationship between Jim and Pam, I never had a problem with them finally getting together. In fact, I was looking forward to it. However, it completely changed Pam’s character from a timid secretary to, well, somewhat of a bitch. The sixth season has been one of Pam asserting her attitude in the office, and the episode of her giving birth was what really sent it over the edge. She really didn’t want to go to the hospital, despite her immense pain, just for an extra night’s stay? It got to the point of near insanity and just felt like something the old Pam would never do.

Perhaps I’m just nitpicking, because this is still a relatively good sitcom, though in comparison to the rest of the garbage out there (I’m looking at you CBS sitcoms, minus How I Met Your Mother), The Office is still something fresh. I was such a devoted fan from the beginning that I’m worried it might die a slow death, and that’s something I would never want to see happen to Michael Scott and the rest of the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

If you feel compelled to take a gander at Shawn Levy’s IMDB page, you’ll see that he has directed such classics as the remake of The Pink Panther, Cheaper by the Dozen, and both Night at the Museum movies. And if Tina Fey and Steve Carell weren’t in Date Night, it too would have been another movie stuck in comedy hell.

It becomes obvious right away that a plot this thin would have to be saved by the quality of the movie’s two leads. Much of the time, Carell and Fey are left to their own devices in a scene, free to throw around jokes that were obviously not in the script, therefore making the thought of what this could have been very frightening. The chemistry between Fey and Carell, who play a bored married couple just looking to have one good night together, is incredibly believable and fun to watch, which certainly goes a long way. This is a PG-13 comedy, however, so there are obviously some limitations; though if this a precursor to any more Fey-Carell team-ups, it’s exciting to see what they could do with more freedom.

The rest of the cast really does not have much to work with here – though a great scene with James Franco comes to mind – and this is not a movie free of clichés, like Claire Foster (Fey) acting like a giddy teenager when she sees Mark Wahlberg shirtless. That’s not the only groan-worthy sequence in the film, because there are definitely some lame attempts at broader humor, but that’s to be expected in a movie like this. If you can make it through those, you’ll be rewarded, because, again, Fey and Carell are impressive. It’s the typical, “go in with realistic expectations and you’ll be pleasantly surprised” advice.

On the other hand, Date Night is slightly disappointing in the sense that the movie easily could have been funnier. It doesn’t exactly feel like a complete loss, and this will have to do until we see something like a Carell-Fey team-up again. This isn’t a terrible movie by any means – it’s simply a lightweight comedy that showcases the talents of two of the better comedians working today. Steve Carell has already proven himself in both TV and film, but I feel as if Tina Fey needed something like Date Night to really propel herself further into being a bona fide movie star. Despite Date Night’s shortcomings, what it might lead to in the future for its leads makes it that much better.

Ten years ago, the world had no idea who Steve Carell was. Today, he is one of the biggest comedy actors in America.  Aside from continuing work in a hit TV show, he stars in three major movies this year, including Date Night, Dinner for Schmucks, and the animated Despicable Me. So how did Steve Carell transition from an apparent nobody into a major summer box office draw?

His career can be split up into three very distinct phases:

Phase 1: The TV Beginnings

Notable Work: Curly Sue (1991), “The Dana Carvey Show” (1996), “The Ambiguously Gay Duo” (1996-2007) “Over the Top” (1997), “The Daily Show” (1999-2005), “Watching Ellie” (2002-2003)

Steve Carell’s first major acting gig was nearly 20 years ago in Curly Sue, the last film directed by John Hughes, in which Carell has a minor role with about one minute of screen time.

The Dana Carvey Show, while only around for one season on ABC, involved some key players who would become gigantic talents in the next decade, most notably Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, and writer Charlie Kaufman.  Carell is heavily featured in most episodes, and it is easy to see the foundation for some of his later characters.  While the show itself was a failure, the surviving remnant was a recurring animated sketch that was continued on Saturday Night Live: The Ambiguously Gay Duo, featuring the voices of then-unknowns Carell and Colbert.

After being featured as a side character in the disastrous Tim Curry-starred sitcom, Over the Top, Steve Carell hit his biggest break of the 90s when he became a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show.  He joined Colbert as a cast member and they both starred in a popular segment called Even ‘Stephven’.

The Seinfeld Curse famously struck down Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s Watching Ellie after one season.  Carell had a substantial role in the show, but thankfully this would be his last failed project.  His career would only go uphill from here.

Phase 2: Supporting Character

Bruce Almighty (2003)

Carell’s first major appearance in a motion picture was as news anchor Evan Baxter in this summer blockbuster. His role is small and inconsequential to the plot, but it produced one of the better comedic scenes in the film, when Jim Carrey’s Bruce acts out his revenge on Evan during a live broadcast.

Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)

This might be the film when casual movie fans took note of the name Steve Carell.  Here he plays the tremendously named Brick Tamland, a man-child of limited intelligence and the best random quips in a movie filled with random quips: “Brick, where’d you get a hand grenade?” – “I don’t know.”

Melinda and Melinda (2004) and Bewitched (2005)

Melinda and Melinda is a lukewarm and somewhat forgettable Woody Allen effort, unique for starring Will Ferrell in the male lead and pairing him up with Steve Carell for a minor scene in the story.  In Bewitched, Carell plays the wacky Uncle Arthur, also starring alongside Will Ferrell for the third time.  Both of these films are largely forgotten today and that might be for the best.

Phase 3: Leading Man

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

The year 2005 was the best thing that could have happened to Steve Carell.  But arguably his luckiest gig was playing the lead role in Judd Apatow’s hilariously crude and warm-hearted ode to virginal innocence.  Here, Carell shaped the prototype of inexperienced but well-meaning male protagonist that would dominate R-rated comedies for years to come.  The 40-Year-Old Virgin was not only a surprise box office success, but proved to be a critical darling as well.

The Office (2005 – present)

Coinciding with his appearance in a box office smash, Carell starred in the American remake of Ricky Gervais’s and Stephen Merchant’s The Office.  His recent screen success could be credited for the show’s steady increase in loyal fans during its first and second season.  Today, The Office might have changed its voice to be more broad-humored, but it appears the adjustment paid off by its introduction into mainstream pop culture.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

Steve Carell would temporarily shed some of his former wackiness to play a supporting role in the indie-serio-comic movie of 2006.  His ‘Uncle Frank’ was a mix of unlikely quirks, but Carell somehow pulled off the performance and made the gay, heart-broken, Proust scholar one of the more memorable characters in this prototypical indie film of the later ‘00s. It is also the only Steve Carell film in the IMDB top 250.

Evan Almighty (2007)

There was no better way to measure Steve Carell’s sudden success than to take a look at the project, Evan Almighty.  The idea?  Create a spin-off story based around a very minor supporting character in Bruce Almighty and make it the most expensive comedy ever produced.  The only problem was that it was maligned by critics and was hindered by below-average writing and poor CGI.  The biggest blow, however, came from low box office returns – the worldwide gross of $173 million narrowly missed the $175 million total budget.  Regardless, studios still saw potential for Carell as a box office champ.

Dan in Real Life (2007)

In the same year, Steve Carell starred in a much smaller film; the inoffensive and breezy Dan in Real Life. While I’ve personally never seen any family get-togethers as sunny and activity-oriented as those depicted in the film, critics and audiences favored this simpler flick to the bloat and excess of Evan Almighty. Dan in Real Life became a small success.

Get Smart (2008)

The Steve Carell summer-blockbuster treatment was more successful in Get Smart than in Evan Almighty.  While the questionable CGI still lingered occasionally, Get Smart had enough charm and humor to make the genre send-up a fun summer movie.  It also made huge bucks, solidifying Carell as a box office draw.

Over the Hedge (2006) and Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

Like his Apatow contemporaries, Seth Rogen and Jonah Hill, Steve Carell has found himself providing many a featured voice for gigantic animated films. Over the Hedge and Horton Hears a Who! are both standard animated fare, but Horton might be better by a small margin.  We’ll see how this year’s Despicable Me stacks up.

So, to sum up Steve Carell’s biggest achievements thus far:

Best Comic Side Character: Brick Tamland in Anchorman (2004)

Career-Defining Turn: The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Biggest Box Office: Bruce Almighty (2003) – $242 million domestic

Most Critically Praised Movie: Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

There have been great spy spoofs in the past (I’m thinking especially of The Naked Gun series, the last being directed by Peter Segal, who directed Get Smart) and Get Smart initially came off as a spy comedy in which I would need to lower my expectations. To be a successful spoof – and I realize this movie was confined partly by its TV show past – a movie needs to let loose with the comedy and allow itself to be utterly silly and insane at times. Surprisingly, there are enough glimpses of that in Get Smart and, when combined with the solid action sequences, this is a spy comedy that lives up to its genre brethren.

I’ve never been the biggest Steve Carell fan. I don’t dislike the guy but the awkward, out-of-place, slightly moronic character has been done to death, especially by him. Well, he’s decided to reach back into the well once more with Dinner For Schmucks. Lucky for me, Paul Rudd and Zach Galifianakis are along for the ride.

Carell plays a dorky fool with Supercuts hair who dresses like Sean Penn in I Am Sam. Paul Rudd is a businessman on the fast track who needs to find an idiot to please his douchebag boss. Together, they form an unlikely team who I’m certain will become lasting friends by the time the end credits roll.

I see it as What About Bob? meets Rain Man, except not as funny or dramatic. Here’s the trailer.

Despite playing the memorable Brick Tamland in Anchorman, this was really Steve Carell’s breakout role, and deservedly so. The 40-Year-Old Virgin also ushered in the brand of comedy that has became all too familiar nowadays: raunchy, hard-R comedies, mostly about a bunch of middle-aged immature guys. But do you want to know the difference between this and, say, The Hangover? A movie like The 40-Year-Old Virgin is full of heart and characters that are not only believable, but ones you want to see succeed rather than just give you a few laughs over the course of a couple hours.