Movie Review: I Love You, Man

Grade: B

Starring: Paul Rudd, Jason, Segel, Rashida Jones, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, Jane Curtin, J.K. Simmons and Andy Samberg.

What Happens?

A guy with no guy friends proposes to the girl of his dreams, only to realize that all of her friends think he's a loser because he doesn't have anyone to be his best man. So, innocent and naive, the man wanders into the wild world of male Los Angeles to make a best friend.

Why it gets a B:

Awe, aren't you a cute puppy-wuppy. You're so sweet and lovable. Yes you are! Oh, yes you are! Do you want friendship? Oh yes you do!

If you haven't started imagining me petting the future DVD of this movie like it's the little puppy from Marley & Me, then you've never had a dog or been around dog people. This movie was made by dog people. Not half-schnauzer, half-human mutants but close. Paul Rudd plays a dopey girl-friend-guy, who can't seem to land a man mate. His mother sets him up with a gay man; his gay brother sets him up with some straight ones. When he finally befriends someone, Jason Segel, Rudd suffers from goofy incurable logorrhea which causes him to spew random words out in an attempt to give his new friend a nickname. Then, Jaime Pressly and Jon Favreau excel as a married couple who stay together despite anger issues. All of this should have provided a greater launching pad into Judd Apatow humor-land. It only partially succeeds.

The movie suffers from very flat characters. Rudd is too perky, too chipper or too similar to one of those boys from 1940s PSAs. He is the adorable puppy every woman in the audience would take home and the man many women wish they could snare. He's also so awkward you end up spending more time feeling sorry for him than rooting for him to find a friend. Segel does a good job as a bohemian bum investor who lives in a garage with his video games and instruments. But he is too generic and doesn't really get many good lines. And what happens, happens, no surprises. Additionally, it doesn't bust your ribs with its extremely smart or hilarious writing. These two guys can do much better.

Though this seemed like a winning pair, Paul Rudd and Jason Segel need to hire themselves a better writer/director as soon as they get done promoting this half-failed, often-bland paycheck.

Contact staff writer Jordan Trippeer at jordan.trippeer@richmond.edu