"Get Him to the Greek" - REVIEW

Spin-offs are a tricky sub-genre by nature, in that they usually involve giving one-note supporting characters too much time at the center of the action. Surprisingly, Nick Stoller's Get Him to the Greek, a spin-off of 2008's Forgetting Sarah Marshall pulls it off, even though it's not a particularly strong film. Only two principal actors from 'Marshall' remain: Judd Apatow regular Jonah Hill, and comedian Russel Brand, reprising his role as rocker Aldous Snow. The plot is simple but effective: Hill's Aaron (strangely not the same character he played in 'Marshall') must get Snow to the Greek Theater in LA in time for a 10 year anniversary concert. The problem, though, is unlike any I've encountered in a film with the Apatow touch. The films he's associated with usually falter when they try and add too much "depth" to go along with the raunchy comedy. 'Greek' is the opposite, in that its humor isn't strong enough, but its attempts at nuance actually feel much more genuine than 'Marshall,' Superbad, or I Love You, Man. The laughs never really stick, though I did get one or two solid guffaws, and a handful of chuckles. Thankfully it's not boring, even with some atrocious editing and poorly executed staging/blocking (a bit about Snow's mother being an idiot is done lazily). Brand actually makes for a pretty decent actor, and he has a scene late in the game that impressed me more than I ever would have thought possible. Adding to the film are performances from P. Diddy (surprisingly funny, if a bit much), "Mad Men"'s Elisabeth Moss, and Rose Byrne, who shows a surprising knack for comedy in the film's opening montage. It's a shame that the leading pair, along with the supporting cast, are given such underwhelming material, at least in the comedy department. Kudos, however, to the team behind it for never making Aldous Snow one-note and boring, and for wrapping up this wildly uneven romp with a sweet little ending. It's often said that it's better to end well than begin well (hello, Nine) but Get Him to the Greek is a different sort of beast: it ends and begins well, it just needs a new middle.

Grade: C