Review: Dinner for Schmucks

Mild-mannered Tim (Paul Rudd) gets put up for a promotion, but there is a catch. Once a month, his boss and his associates host a dinner where they invite idiots and make fun of them. Against his own judgment, Tim participates in the dinner and invites his new friend, Barry (Steve Carrel). Barry turns out to be a bigger idiot than seems possible and threatens to indirectly end Tim's relationship with his girlfriend.

Paul Rudd has been on a hotstreak. He has been partnering up with the funniest actors and directors in the business. This time he finds himself reteaming with Steve Carrel, a very funny actor on the top of his game. Unfortunately, they both fall short. Rudd's character seems so much more mild-mannered in the beginning. His nice guy attitude seemed almost unbearable based on first impression, but as soon as Steve Carrel's character is introduced, like a flip of a coin, he becomes a jerk. Carrel's natural showmanship almost saved the entire production, but eventually his own idiocy becomes so out there that he loses much of his sincerity. Fellow morons Zach Galifinakis and Jermaine Clement both perform admirably, but neither are used to their full potential and fail to elevate the material. Other great actors like Bruce Greenwood and Ron Linvingston are also underused, and newcomer Lucy Punch successfully creates a very unlikable female antagonist.

The premise sounds great and had a lot of potential. It could have been a great stage for the like of Carrel and Galifinakis to shed restraints and really show off. Unfortunately in the end, the series of moronic site gags do not amount to much other than mildly humorous entertainment. The plot had very little to offer. The dinner did not start until the last half hour of the movie leaving Carell and Rudd to get into antics that barely moved the plot forward. Rounding off the story is the obligatory romantic story involving Tim and his disapproving artsy girlfriend. The actress, Stephanie Szostak, is very likeable, but Rudd's clumsy juggling of issues makes it very cliche and run of the mill.

Dinner for Schmucks is a very flawed film. It feels like safe, over-processed wares with no sight of edginess or originality to back up the more than capable performers.

4/10