It's okay, but if you've been bombarded by the ads you've mostly already seen it

Rating: 6/10 (7 June 2009)

I was wary of seeing this, because I've really disliked Todd Phillips previous films, which include Starsky & Hutch and Old School. I just find them tremendously poorly written and directed. And, yes, that does matter, even in a comedy. Timing is everything, and Phillips hasn't any timing. The reason I did go see this movie is for one of its actors, Zach Galifanakis, one of the funniest comedians of today. Bonus points for Ed Helms, who was probably the best of his generation of Daily Show correspondents. Galifanakis is one of the most oddball guys around, with a low-key style that's definitely a breath of fresh air in an industry now lead by Dane Cook. So does he overcome Phillips general horribleness? Yes. Well, he does. He runs away with the movie without trying. The movie doesn't triumph in the end, though. I have to admit, that's due a lot to the fact that the ads for this film have been relentless. The first trailer gives away about 70% of the movie's best jokes. And I was watching The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien most of Friday morning on Hulu, and the ads there filled me in on about 15% more of the jokes. So, yeah, they gave away about 90% of the jokes in the ads. And of the remaining 10%, there's only maybe one gag that floored me. This movie will definitely play best to those who haven't heard anything about it. Trying to judge it objectively, as if I hadn't seen all the ads, I'd still say that a ton of jokes fall flat anyway. Like I said, timing, and Phillips doesn't have any. He likes to continue on for too long a lot of the time. I also greatly disliked the movie's lead, Bradley Cooper. I guess it's not too big of a problem, as Galifanakas is never upstaged by him. Nor is Helms, even if he doesn't get the best material. Cooper is there, I think, to draw in women. He's the kind of guy women love and men hate. In short, he's great looking, but a total jerk. The film tries to play him off as a semi-sensitive man when all is said and done, but I never bought it.