Funny but disappointing

Rating: 6/10 (23 May 2010)

I saw the premiere of this movie in Las Vegas at the Planet Hollywood hotel and casino. I loved Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I was really excited to finally see this movie, especially since it was with the cast. Sadly, I was disappointed.
If you are looking for the Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah then forget it. No more "Excuse me, missus, I've lost a shoe... like this one. It's like this one's fellow... it's sort of the exact opposite in fact of that - not an evil version but just, you know, a shoe like this" or "*after spilling cranberry juice on his shirt* Oh God, please take my eyes, but not the shirt! ". While Brand is funny as Aldous Snow at times, the character just isn't the same. Stoller expanded greatly on him in order for this character to be able to support a full movie, but I think he fell short of accomplishing this successfully and ended up robbing Aldous Snow of what made him so funny in the first place.
Jason Segel wrote Forgetting Sarah Marshall and came up with this character in the first film. Nicholas Stoller, the director of Forgetting, directed and wrote this film without input from Segel and you can tell the difference. Aldous no longer has the funny and stupid lines that made him so memorable. Instead his character entertains by gross out humor and ridiculous actions. Some have warned that this movie is not like Forgetting and I completely agree; but what they haven't said is that Aldous Snow isn't the same character either. Sure, some elements have returned but, as stated above, what made this character great has not.
You'd expect Russel Brand to carry this movie but he actually seems to make the movie drag on. Luckily, Jonah Hill manages to pick up some of the slack and Hill provides almost all of the funniest parts. It's sad that Russel doesn't deliver but I don't blame him for not living up to par, I blame Stoller for taking away what made Aldous Snow so funny in the first place.
This is a good movie, but they shouldn't have marketed it as Russell Brand returning as Aldous Snow. I think this is giving people a false idea of what this movie actually is. If you go in expecting Brand to do nothing but flawlessly execute hilarious lines, like from the first movie, then be prepared to be disappointed. If you go in with an open mind and try to forget the Aldous Snow from the first movie then you might actually like it. Sadly, for me I went it wanting to see the Aldous Snow from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and left wishing this film was better.