The director of Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Nicholas Stoller, returns to the cinema with this hilarious (somewhat) sequel. While Marshall came across as a bit tedious and forced, Get Him to the Greek delivers on all fronts. This film is a witty, gut busting, comedy that will bring you to hysterical tears.
The Judd Apatow produced comedy brings us back to the outrageously insane world of Aldous Snow (Russell Brand), a British rock n’ roll god that has peaked and is headed for the clearance bin after releasing the “decade’s worst single”. Snow lives a life for the tabloids, going from a seven-year sobriety to partying it up rock star style after his wife Jackie Q (Rose Byrne) leaves him for a heavy metal drummer that infamously sued Napster. Living in a world of denial, Snow has no idea his public image has declined to an almost state of comedic talk show jokes.
Halfway across the globe in the cutthroat entertainment city of Los Angeles, Aaron Green (Jonah Hill), a record company lackey is pressured by the company executive, Sergio Roma (Sean Combs), to come up with a profit generating idea. Being a lifetime fan of Snow’s rock band, Infant Sorrow, Green has an idea. Pitching a comeback concert for the 10th anniversary of the Infant Sorrow’s show at the Greek Theatre, Green gets his chance to impress his boss while simultaneously fulfilling his lifelong dream of meeting his idol.
After Snow agrees to the concert, Green must jet set to London and return to Los Angeles in three days for the sold out show. Despite Sergio’s warnings, Green falls into the rock n’ roll lifestyle and is conflicted between partying with his idol and his obligations to get the failing rock star to the Greek stage.
Going into this film, I was afraid that it would be another bland factory generated comedy of the Apatow team, but instead, it went far and beyond what I expected. The dialog was filled with unforeseen quirky one-liners and insane topics that reach the very edge of the R rating that it carries.
Stoller’s writing is great at bringing out not only the hysterical comedy of Brand and Hill, but also the ups and downs of a meaningful drama full of emotion. By the end of the film, I really felt and related to these characters. They not only managed to bring laughs, they were believable as the outrageous characters they were playing. While no stranger to comedic roles, Brand and Hill both shine in this film. Along with morphing the dialog into their own, the two bring impeccable comedic timing, hilarious expressions, and great chemistry that really give this film the hilarious edge that comedies of late have been missing.
Overall I really enjoyed this film. With so many lackluster comedies asking for your money, it’s nice to actually have a quirky, witty, and well-performed film finally hit the theatres. While some of the subject matter may offend some, it will definitely appeal to those that have a darker sense of humor.
8 out of 10
What did you think of Get Him to the Greek?