Step Brothers

Those puzzled by Will Ferrell's feature-film superstardom will still be scratching their heads after watching his latest, a painfully unfunny “high concept” comedy that squanders the considerable gifts of its accomplished supporting cast. Ferrell stars as Brennan Huff—slacker son of Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen)—who is forced to accompany his mother when she moves in with new husband Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins). Turns out the stepdad has an underachieving scion as well: Dale (John C. Reilly), who bitterly resents having to share his bedroom with Brennan. Director Adam McKay's Step Brothers quickly devolves into a tiresome tit-for-tat, with both stepbrothers coming off as more mentally challenged than competitive. We're supposed to laugh as Ferrell and Reilly engage in pranks a 10-year-old would find childish, but even when things turn really nasty and Brennan tries to bury Dale alive, it's hard to find the humor in middle-aged men behaving like petulant children (and Ferrell's self-indulgent penchant for improvising only makes things worse). The one saving grace is Jenkins' performance: as the exasperated father he's a hilarious study in barely controlled rage, easily overshadowing the two leads in every scene they share. Not recommended. (E. Hulse)