We’re The Millers
The brilliant idea at the centre of this film from the writer and director of Dodgeball is a comedy classic like the 2004 Will Ferrell vehicle ripe endless laughs. The plot is that a middle aged, layabout drug dealer (Jason Sudeikis competently handling leading man duties) must assemble various misfits and pillars of society to act as a squeaky clean all American family to help smuggle a ‘squidge’ of marijuana over the Mexican border without being suspected. The idea is refreshingly original and boosted by a strong central cast. While Aniston plays the stripper turned loving housewife role well and Roberts also nails the runaway daughter role the film belongs mainly to Will Poulter’s Kenny. Poulter’s Kenny is the full comic package from his funny striped shirt appearance to his hilarious accent and his frequent clueless and innocent expressions such as when he is being forced by Jason Sudeikis to perform fellatio on a Luiz Guzman’s nosy cop. Though marketed with Aniston’s erotic dancing abilities, the film boasts great characters right down to Nick Offerman’s moustached family man and DEA cop on vacation that the titular Millers must not let near their camper van that is brimming with a huge shipment of hash.
The plot is paced beautifully as the initial challenge of getting over the border is then faced with following challenges of getting the drugs across a country notorious for it’s anti-drug enforcement as the ‘smugglers’ face a breakdown, an off duty cop and his family and a poisonous spider bite to unload the cargo of high level contraband.
It’s success having already grossed £120 million is probably because it’s based on an original idea as opposed to the familiar plots (Wedding Crashers set in the Google Offices, Ron Burgundy as a Race Car Driver, etc)rehashed by the Stiller, Owen, Black Frat Pack brand of comedy that seems to always get funding. However this film manages more laughs than in three of their films put together. It’s only slightly ruined by the cheesy bloopers where they play the Friends theme tune in one take of the rapping scene
****
