Step Brothers

A grown man still living with his father (John C. Reilly) and another who still lives with his mother (Will Ferrell) wind up sharing a room (and acting like snotty brats) when their parents marry. The script—or rather, the clutch of semi-improvised gags concocted by the two stars and director Adam McKay—is essentially 95 minutes with two worthless bums. Still, the fact that the bums are played by Reilly and Ferrell nudges the movie into guilty-pleasure territory; much of their nonsense is undeniably funny. Someone should tell the boys to stick to comedy, though; when they improvise with music—Ferrell singing, Reilly on drums—they’re less successful (the movie’s protracted climax is downright embarrassing). Then again, McKay seems a director in name only; does anybody tell Ferrell what to do?