Harry here... Massawyrm actually went to this. Wow...

Hola all. Massawyrm here. Let’s face it. Ryan Reynolds is one of the funniest, sardonic actors of his generation working today. He has the ability to throw out lines that could easily fall flat with other actors, but gives it this almost self-deprecating “yeah I’m an asshole” spin that makes the lines truly funny. He was able to take a role in the virtually unwatchable Blade: Trinity and proved to be its one, shining point making it worth seeing once – and only for his performance. But he’s had a rough go of it. Most of his films fall far from the demarcation line of “good” films, with the rest being watchable once or twice. He’s a talent that I feel hasn’t found the right script, the right role, to truly make him a star. But he’s getting there – and Just Friends is just the right kind of film to endear him to an audience that probably still refers to him as Van Wilder.

Just Friends isn’t a particularly good film. It’s fairly unoriginal, has a plot that was done a million times better recently in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and relies almost entirely upon physical humor to win over the audience. Some of the acting from the tertiary characters is fairly weak and the flashback sequences to high school very much look like 30 year old actors pretending that they’re 18. This movie is riddled with flaws and weak moments, and despite being a romantic comedy, it isn’t particularly romantic. Just Friends will never go down in history as a classic. But you know what? It’s really, really funny. This is exactly the type of film I usually have a problem swallowing, but it made me laugh, repeatedly, even doubling me over in my chair twice. And I almost never double over in my chair.

Despite how cheesy this movie gets, despite the clich̩s it plays around with, despite everything in this movie that should make it fall flat, it actually proves to be an enjoyable 96 minutes. And it does so for two reasons Рthe cast assembled for it and its unique comedic style.

Just Friends is of course a Ryan Reynolds vehicle, and the movie lives and breathes with his performance. And while I don’t think he is nearly as sharp as he can be, he is actually pretty freaking good. As Chris, the overweight kid in high school in love with his best (slutty) friend, who’s grown up, slimmed down and become a master ladies man, he really sells it. He carries this distinct bitterness over the girl he was destroyed by and in return has decided to punish the rest of the women in the world for. He’s callous, self-absorbed and just something of a complete prick – exactly the type of roll Reynolds excels at playing. And it affords him the ability to cast off his one liners and his trademark looks of contempt to full effect.

But what really lets Reynolds do his thing is the group of comedians surrounding him. Most notable among them is young actor Chris Marquette, best known as the porn loving Eli in The Girl Next Door, who steals scene after scene as Reynolds’ younger brother. While his role almost entirely consists of himself and Reynolds beating the crap out of one another or joking about how many times in a day he masturbates, Marquette delivers them with all the sleazy charm of a young Willy Ames and has earned a place as my favorite goofy sleazebag sidekick since George Clooney’s turn in Return of the Killer Tomatoes. While the comedy he is a part of really is lowest common denominator fare, Marquette peppers it with just the right amount of brotherly affection to make it genuine, bringing it up out of the gutter and into the realm of the truly funny.

Anna Ferris once again tackles the “L.A. Parody” role that she did so wonderfully in Lost in Translation, this time going after Christina Aguilera (rather than Cameron Diaz.) Despite being unbelievably over the top, Reynolds and Marquette each tag team stepping in to ramp up the funny. Taking these scenes out of context (as in seeing them in the trailer) they would be eye rollingly bad (humorwise), but each serves as a perfect set up for Reynolds and Marquette to do their thing. And ultimately it is the over the top nature that makes it work.

And lastly, Chris Klein, yes Chris Klein, manages to use the fact that he is terribly unlikable on screen to forge a really detestable character in Dusty, the other guy who was in love with Amy Smart in high school, who has also grown up handsome and is out for a quick anger bang, using the sensitive guy angle which proves to throw one wrench after another into Reynolds plans.

But what really makes this film funny is the strange comedic style employed here. Most of the major jokes in the film all have these strange comedic echoes, as if the jokes were crafted for two different audiences at the same time. Something “funny” happens and one half of the audience goes nuts – leaving the rest of us saying “hey, that’s not…” only to be cut off mid thought by one of these joke echoes, which really is funny. There’s a scene in which Anna Ferris states “We’ll be the best producing team since Jessica Simpson and her father. Except they can’t do it. That would be illegal.” (Audience laughs. I look around.) Then, almost under her breath, as if it were some cast off line “I looked it up.” (I laugh.) Just Friends has this very cool way of making you drop your guard, then broad siding you with something really funny. This joke may not work well on the page, but with Ferris’s delivery, it really is pretty funny.

All in all, this isn’t a film I can recommend, except to say that it will make you laugh. It’s got this “Meet the Parents” vibe to it, and I swear to god, if Ben Stiller were ten years younger, he would have been cast in this. It’s funny, but forgettable. And if that’s what you’re looking for this weekend, Just Friends will do the trick.

Until next time friends, smoke ‘em if ya got ‘em. I know I will.

Massawyrm

I can smoke out both ends, wanna give it a shot?

And if you think Massawyrm is mad, here's Dan with his look at the film

Hey Harry, my name is Dan and I'm a freshman at the University of South Carolina, I check your site all the time and love everything on it. Anyway, I just got back from a special advanced screening of the new Ryan Reynolds movie "Just Friends".

I went into this movie thinking it would be a romantic comedy with small bits of humor, but I was pretty wrong. This movie was absolutely hilarious. Reynolds is every bit as hilarious as he is in "Waiting" and "Blade Trinity". Anna Farris is a bit over the top at times, but still provides a couple good laughs. Chris Klein still has that obnoxious douchebag aura around him that he had in the American Pie movies, but he's still good. Amy Smart is absolutely smokin hot, and my new goal in life is to marry her.

The movie itself doesn't really focus too much on fat Ryan Reynolds in high school, but the bits from high school are pretty hilarious. Of course the movie did have its romantic and sometimes cheesy parts, but the comedy made up for these overly sappy movies. The movie is definitely romantic enough to take a date too.

It's a little cliche at times, but nowadays what comedy isn't? If you're a fan of Ryan Reynolds' sarcastic style of humor then I definitely recommend this movie for you.

Hope this comes to some use, if I need a cool name, you can call me The (Mall)Rat King.