Get Him to the Greek review

Movie spin-offs work about as often as television spin-offs. As great as the people in and behind them are usually they just don't work out the way they're supposed to. A lot of times it's due to the massive lack of effort put fourth by the creators because they feel like they've got their fan basis so what does it matter. Other times it's just things not clinging together well. Fortunately "Get Him to the Greek" aka Aldous Snow from "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" gets his own movie is part of the few spin-offs that does work well. I'll say it's not as good as it's leaping point film, but they aren't the same types of comedies either.

A big part of why "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" was so good was because it was first and foremost a romantic comedy that was both sweet and nastily funny. It attempted to lampoon everything about celebrity and celebrity relationships while still creating an ensemble group of memorable characters that tired to deal with the situation in a fairly realistic manner. "Get Him to the Greek" at it's core like a rock n roll excess film in which Jonah Hill's Aaron Green character must go through hell and back in transport his idol Aldous Snow to the Greek theater in L.A. for an anniversary concert which could easily revive his fading career. We get to learn a lot about Aldous' music, family, relationships and lifestyle which leads to scenes of utter and out of control hilarity and surprising moments of conviction in which he discusses his long spanning trouble with drugs. What's more interesting is when they attempt to blur those two things and try both in the same scene. It's kind of half and half.

I've read about a half a dozen reviews for the film and one thing I keep noticing is that people have been picking out who makes the movie. That's something I highly disagree with because like in 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' I felt ALL the characters help shape the picture. Hill plays (for a change) the straight man and actually manages to kill it and at times out shine Brand who works hard to be the center of funny. I'm not saying Russell Brand isn't funny (cause he damn sure is), but there's a lot of sharing going around with the others performers. I will also say that indeed Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs does steal a number of scenes. As a music and business mogul I don't care for him, but as an actor... I've got to say he's impressed me. Between this, "Monster's Ball" and the remake of "A Raisin in the Sun", Diddy's got range. Elisabeth Moss as Hill's doctor girlfriend is the un-sung hero I feel. She works hard to be a likable, sweet and kind of realistic character in Aaron's now maddening world of rock excess that he's trying to escape. And finally Rose Byrne who I don't think I've ever seen in a comedy, plays Snow's former girlfriend (or wife, I'm not entirely sure) model and singer Jackie Q. You might remember Byrne from a number of dramas including FX's "Damages", "Wicker Park" and "28 Weeks Later". It's great seeing her cut loose a bit and doing something very much unlike her normal fair and as it turns out she's fucking great at lampooning atypical posh, UK female musicians.

I have to say between this and "Splice" the weekend of June 4th has been pretty damn good. Writer-director Nicolas Stroller is one of the few Apatow backed directors that appears to have a greater sense of style about him, that could and probably will carry him much further. It certainly takes the film further and creates something great to look at even when a few of the jokes don't fly as well. The songs and the writing are still fantastic here and this cast is pitch perfect to every scene. Really with all the shit comedies out right now (looking at you 'Macgruber' and 'Sex and the City 2') here is finally a one that lives up to it's potential and provides numerous tear inducing scenes of hilarity in a great looking package. Perhaps finally the summer season is churning out something better than what we've been seeing.