Often remotely funny at least, but overall forgettable

Rating: 6/10 (26 July 2009)

I think I saw just a little bit of this silly comedy in June 2001, on a coach bus on the way to Québec City for a week-long school trip, near the end of my last year before high school. I didn't pay much attention to most of the movies shown on that trip (which is why I could only remember a little bit of this one), and didn't know this one was called "A Night at the Roxbury" at the time. A few years later (2005 or 2006), I saw some of it on TV (knowing about one of its two stars, Will Ferrell, by this time), and recognized the part where the two main characters are thrown out of a building. It took many years for me to get around to actually sitting down and watching the entire film, but it has finally happened. However, aware of its rating here, it wasn't surprising when I found the film a bit bland.
Steve and Doug Butabi are two dimwitted brothers who often go to nightclubs and attempt to score with women, but never succeed. During the day, they work at their father's fake plant store. The brothers dream of getting into the Roxbury, the best club in town, but since they're not on the guest list, they are always denied entrance. They also dream of opening their own nightclub. One night, when they go out in the fake plant store's delivery van for another attempt to get into the Roxbury, the vehicle is hit from behind. The one who hit it turns out to be the famous Richard Grieco. Knowing he can get the two into the club with his celebrity status, he does just that in order to avoid a lawsuit. Inside, the Butabi brothers meet the club's owner, Mr. Zadir. They also meet two young women, Vivica and Cambi, and actually score this time! It appears things are starting to work out for the brothers, until they are denied permission to enter Mr. Zadir's office for their meeting, then it all goes wrong!
Even though I didn't laugh very hard for most of the film, quite a few parts made me at least snicker. I can't think of too many great highlights, but there are some notable gags, such as scenes involving the main characters pathetically trying to score with any attractive young woman they see (whether they're in a club, on the street, or on the beach), Steve (played by Ferrell) flirting with a female police officer, Steve getting emotional while describing silk flowers to a customer at the fake plant store (this may be the funniest part), and eventually some of the conflict between the brothers (most notably the part where they're on the road). Some of the gags are kind of lame, though none of them are memorably disgusting, unlike gags I've seen in a number of other crude modern comedies. For much of the time, I was fairly bored, and I get the feeling even my 6/10 rating just might be a TAD too generous, but probably not.
Like "Dumb & Dumber" and "Dude, Where's My Car?", "A Night at the Roxbury" is a raunchy comedy about two stupid guys on an adventure that involves a lot of sexuality. It was made in between those two films, and I would say it also comes somewhere in between them in quality. I think "Dumb & Dumber" is definitely a funny movie. It's one of those comedies which show that films can be silly and immature but funny at the same time. I've never cared much for "Dude, Where's My Car?" This 1998 comedy is basically a mixed bag. Comedies like this are really funny to some viewers and strongly hated by others, but with this particular film, I come in between those two crowds. I can't say I didn't laugh, but also think it could have made me laugh a lot moreor a lot less, like certain other modern comedies I've seen, especially the horrendous "Epic Movie", which didn't even make me laugh or smile once!