Comedies to me are the oddest genre of all. The reason for this is that I can read 10 reviews about one specific movie and the opinions aren’t universal. Should it happen though that they generally agree chances are that I won’t think the movie is funny. Comedies are a bit like snacks. Everybody likes them but one person will rather eat chips while the other goes for chocolate. They are hard to suggest if you don’t know someone’s taste. If you look at the ingredients on the box, We’re the Millers has some well-known ones: road movie, characters who don’t get along, mistaken identity and R-rated jokes.
David (Jason Sudeikis) is a man who is running his own business, one he started when he was in school. That business isn’t exactly legal though as he sells weed for a living. He’s still single and doesn’t really have any plans to change a thing. When his drugs and money is stolen though he is in trouble. His supplier wants his money and offers him a way out. He has to go to Mexico and pick up drugs and bring them back to the US. He realises this is a very risky thing to do and comes up with a brilliant plan: Since families can cross the border easily in their RV he will create one to do just that. The group is a very mixed one: Rose (Jennifer Aniston) is a stripper, Casey (Emma Roberts) a runaway girl and Kenny (Will Poulter) the boy who lives in the same building and still has to get some life experience. Together they set off to Mexico, trying to convincingly pretend to be a family, which is hard when they can not get along.
We’re the Millers offers the viewer a steady stream of jokes and most of them hit the mark for me. The group ends up in funny situations and there were several laugh out loud moments. Some parts of the story have not received enough attention (for example the Mexican drug dealer felt out-of-place in some parts of the movie), but I can forgive those flaws. The comedy is mostly based on the situation the people are in as the characters themselves are not that funny (except for Kenny). Jennifer Aniston shows her edgier side again (after she also did in Horrible Bosses), but never convinced me as a stripper (I guess that’s also because it’s hard to shake an image you have of someone who didn’t play these type of roles for years). My expectations of this movie were low, but it surprised me. A very entertaining watch, the question is though if this is also the snack of your choice.
I really liked this foul language, drugs, off colour jokes plus Kenny is a comedic genius..
I really like your take on how comedy is perceived. Nice review. Mark formerky wordschat
Thanks Mark! I liked that mix of jokes here as well!
Hi Nostra, I think we give it pretty much the same grade. I usually am not fond of the crude humor and foul language but there are some truly hilarious scenes in this one.
Hey Ruth, happy to see we are on the same page with this one!
Got a chance to check this our recently, Nostra, and I have to agree with your opening paragraph about enjoying (or not) comedy movies as a genre. It’s weird, isn’t it, how different films appeal to different people.
In saying that, I normally don’t go for this stype of bawdy, adult styled comedy. I prefer a more cerebral variant, yet for all The Millers I could have hated, I really found it quite amusing. The pacing is a bit off, and some of the jokes don’t quite always work, but there’s enough here to give it a solid rating. I think mine will probably be a 6 or so, purely for including several shots of a giant scrotum, but it’s competant.
Nice review, especially that opener.
I really should proof read my comments before getting happy with the “Send comment” button…. grrr….
Yeah, I think it is the strongest with this genre. Happy to hear you also quite enjoyed it 🙂
Pingback: » Movie Review – Horrible Bosses Fernby Films