It's been nearly a decade since writer/director Rawson Marshall Thurber first made a name for himself with Dodgeball: An Underdog Story. Then, after his success, he disappeared. He either pulled a Salinger and decided that Dodgeball was going to be his one and only masterpiece... but considering the source material, I'm doubting that was the case. Or, he was carefully looking for his next project. It isn't exactly a total comeback for Thurber, but it is a nice step in the right direction.
Jason Sudekis plays David Clarke, a small-time pot dealer who works for Brad Gurdlinger (Ed Helms). After a group of street punks steal his money and his pot, David is in a bit of trouble. Gurdlinger gives David the option of paying him back with a single job or death, so, obviously, he goes for the job. The job includes taking an RV down to Mexico, picking up a "smidge" of pot, and bringing it back. David has no idea how this will be accomplished without getting caught until he realizes that the perfect cover for an RV full of pot is a wholesome looking family. So, he recruits his stripper neighbor, Rose (Jennifer Aniston), his goofy, virgin neighbor Kenny (Will Poulter) and a homeless street punk girl Casey (Emma Roberts) to pose as his wife, son and daughter respectively to get him safely back across the border. But, obviously, things don't run as smoothly as anticipated. They're chased by cops, cartel killers, and the like. They also share a lot of time with fellow RV-ers, Don and Edie Fitzgerald (Nick Offerman and Kathryn Hahn) who prove to be even more of a challenge when it comes out that Don is a DEA agent.
Had We're The Millers been a PG-13 comedy, I don't think it would've been very funny. That isn't to say that it HAD to be dirty to get laughs, but in this case, it almost did. It's got the premise of a safe family comedy to it and I think a PG-13 rating would've kept people away and would've been another RV until it was forgotten again. Because of it's definitely hard-R rating, audiences are assured they're going to get a sick and twisted ride set against the background of a safe family romp. But, it decided to stray away from the formula. Yes, all of these characters have flaws and things they're going to have to learn and discover about themselves throughout the film, but it's none of the standard comedy movie road trip tropes we're used to. David is selfish. Rose is sad. Kenny is a goober with no confidence. And Casey always pushes people away. What these guys really needed all along is the one thing they've been missing... a family... awww.
The nuts and bolts of the movie really fit in nicely with one another. Everything really works. Each character's flaws coincide with another character's strengths. Their quirks work on a deeper level than just the surface for the sake of comedy. We genuinely feel for each character and root for them to succeed. Especially little Kenny. He's just so sweet and innocent and involved in one of the greatest make-out scenes in film history. Lucky bastard. But, it's the Fitzgeralds who really steal the show. The [probably] Christian, [definitely] sexually repressed campers who latch on to our Millers from the get-go provide many of the numerous laughs of the film. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but there is a scene in what was probably dubbed: The Swingers Tent.
All in all the film is funny and does feel fresh. Yes, you'll be able to see the ending coming a mile away, but it's the journey to the ending that is more fun than predictable. I actually felt every actor was utilized to their potential except for Ed Helms. His character, while a funny idea, wasn't exactly executed great. Other than that though, I would still classify it as a winner and one of the funnier movies released this Summer.
B+
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