Movie Review - Funny People (2009)

Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, and RZA
Written and Directed by Judd Apatow

One would think titling your movie Funny People would infer that there would be humor involved in the film. Well, if hearing "cock" jokes every other quip is your idea of humor, then you're in luck because Funny People will be your idea of a great time!

Adam Sandler plays George Simmons who is basically Sandler himself, or, at the very least, the same character Sandler's played in every other PG-13 lowbrow comedy he's starred in. Except in this flick, we're supposed to believe that he's being "serious" and "stepping up his game" because he's told in the film's first minutes that he has cancer (FYI...the film rarely [if it even ever] says the word "cancer" and uses the word "leukemia" instead because "cancer" would be too serious and this movie's about funny people...ugh...). He thinks back on his life, watches his shitty movies that have made him a star, and decides to go back to doing stand-up comedy. He's kind of lost his touch at comedy so he hires a fellow stand-up comic, Seth Rogen's Ira Wright, to help him out (FYI...Ira's real last name is Wiener...another penis joke...and Lord knows they go back to this joke multiple times!). With his life coming to an end, George also gets in touch with his ex Laura (Leslie Mann) and their relationship re-blossoms despite the fact that she's married to an Australian guy (Eric Bana) and has two kids.

In short, this movie sucked. I'm gonna go on a ramble here, so bear with me. None of the stand-up routines were funny. Humor was completely nonexistent. Writer-director Judd Apatow makes this crapfest go on for over two-and-a-half hours. Entire scenes and entire characters could've been cut. I didn't give a damn about any of these people in this movie. Sandler thinks that weird voices equals funny. Leslie Mann plays an awful character and is really poorly directed here. Apparently, throwing in a bunch of cameos by other "real" famous people is supposed to be funny (Andy Dick, Ray Romano, James Taylor, Eminem, Sarah Silverman all play themselves...there's a ton more). When RZA, who isn't even an actor by trade, is the funniest person in your movie, you're in trouble.

The positive that I gleaned from this movie is that Seth Rogen may have the potential to be an average actor. I actually thought he played a rather likable guy and he showed a bit of acting chops...not a lot, mind you, but I liked him a heckuva lot more than in anything else I've seen him in.

This movie reminded me of Public Enemies. There was potential for something good (that good being a story about a comedian who learns he has cancer and how he copes with it), but it never comes together in the slightest. Judd Apatow once again proves that he cannot edit his own movies. He seems to be too in love with his own writing and/or direction in order to make cuts. He thinks "dirty" equals "funny" and that's not always the case. He thinks adding side characters creates humorous foils for the main characters to play off of (but in reality, they just lengthen your movie by half). He thinks he's talented...I'm not so sure, because I've yet to be impressed with any of his ventures.

The RyMickey Rating: D-