Role Models

Two 30-something semi-slackers (Paul Rudd, Seann William Scott), in trouble with the law, get sentenced to 150 hours of community service helping troubled youth—in their cases, a teenage dweeb obsessed with medieval role-playing (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) and a foulmouthed 10-year-old black kid (Bobb’e J. Thompson). Any hope that this will be more than just another flaccid scuzzbucket pseudo-comedy dies early, when the names of five writers traipse across the screen—a sure sign of desperate efforts to fix the unfixable. The writers include star Rudd and director David Wain, and their efforts produce fitful laughs and a slapdash, haphazard stab at a heartwarming group-hug finish. It’s enough to make you either regret that the movie isn’t better, or (in a generous mood) be grateful it isn’t worse.