FOLIO
by Rick Grant
In this Ruben Fleischer film, written by Michael Diliberti, the combination of raunchy humor, skillful comedic acting, and Fleischer’s right-on pacing resulted in a better than average youth comedy.
Jesse Eisenberg stars as a hot-rodding pizza delivery boy, NIck, who operates on the brink of getting fired with his drinking and drugging. On a questionable delivery inside an industrial area, Nick is ambushed by two swarthy low-lifes, Dwayne (Danny McBride) and Travis ( Nick Swardson) ridiculously disguised as apes. The two knock him out and strap a vest of dynamite on his chest and if he doesn’t follow their orders, they will set off the bomb.
They assure him that if he robs the bank of $100,000 and returns it to them they will take off the bomb vest and he will be free. Of course, Nick doesn’t believe that Dwayne and Travis will not kill him when they get the money.
Nick is frantic to figure out what to do. So his immediate plan is to meet his ex- friend, Chet, (Aziz Ansari) to plead with him to help him with his bomb problem.
Ah yes, fools rush into situations that are way above their heads, and odd things happen, allowing Nick and Chet to luckily get away with bank robbery and other mayhem. They are like Harold and Kumar on an impossible mission but not to the White Castle.
Now, staying alive is the new priority for the bungling buffoons. Just when they think it’s over, the hitman, hired by Dwayne and Travis, shows up demanding his payment and he hasn’t even done the job. Well, not surprisingly, he plans to take-off with the dough. Everyone involved wants that 100 grand.
As Dwayne, Danny McBride channels his character, Kenny Powers from his HBO’s “Eastbound and Down” as one by one, his plans have gone wrong and his life is now in jeopardy. In fact, the whole scenario has gone South to places not even a dirt-bag would want to go.
This entire twisty scenario depended on split second timing by the actors and director, which they pulled off perfectly. In other words, the actors and director greatly enhanced this done to death youth comedy model.
Lucky for me, sick of this genre, the movie was continuously funny and clever. So, it exceeded my expectations which, in regard to the latest batch of trashy movies, have been in the cellar.
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