Dinner for Schmucks… What is there to say about this movie? Well, first off, you need to NOT read any of the critics reviews of this movie, because they’re all wrong. If you haven’t read the description of this blog it’s a movie review site for people who don’t care what the professional critics say, so not listening to them shouldn’t be a problem. This movie isn’t the fast paced punchline after punchline comedy that they’re looking for. It moves a little slow for the first part of the movie, the part leading up to the dinner, but the dinner makes up for it. The first 2/3rds of this movie is the giant set-up for the dinner, but there are still plenty of funny parts in this section. The critics make it sound like it’s boring until the dinner, but it’s really not. Dinner for Schmucks is about Tim (Paul Rudd), an analyst for a big financial company, Fender Financial. An employee gets fired, and Tim wants his position. He then discovers that the only way to get the promotion is for him to find and bring an idiot to an annual dinner Fender holds that he calls “Dinner for Winners.” They bring idiots to a dinner to make fun of them and the employee who brings the biggest idiot snags the promotion. He plans on not doing it because his girlfriend (Stephanie Szostak) thinks its a ridiculous idea. Even though he plans on not doing, he runs into an idiot of his own, Barry (Steve Carell). His girlfriend leaves when she finds out he plans on it, and other events roll out that run the course of the movie. I’m really trying not to give the movie away, so sorry for the half-baked plot summary.
There are plenty of humorous parts throughout the movie, and you should expect to get quite a few good laughs out of it, especially considering the cast. Be warned though. While it’s not as crude as The Hangover (see my last review for a description of that) it has parts that probably aren’t the greatest for the kids, like the part during the dinner when Barry (Steve Carell) talks about why his ex-wife left him for his boss, Therman (Zach Galifianakis.) Regardless, this movie is still full of laughs for everyone. Carell does a marvelous job playing the “idiot” role, and Galifianakis does great as well. Even though Barry is the idiot in the story, he’s the one we’re probably supposed to root for the most, and I think this movie plays it off rather well. Tim is the other one we’re supposed to root for, and even though he comes off as the bad guy through part of it, he becomes easier to cheer for later on.
Ultimately, if you want a comedy that you can pretty much shut off your brain and watch and laugh, then this is the movie for you, but this isn’t a thinking man’s movie. Most comedies aren’t though, now that I think about it. I suggest you go see this, don’t expect it to be The Hangover, but it is funny. Don’t listen to the critics, because they’re ridiculous. (Also, if anyone else thinks that Steve Carell looks like a gofer in the movie poster, feel free to comment.) By the way, this is a double movie week, so I’ll be doing a review of Will Ferrell’s new movie The Other Guys on Wednesday or Thursday.
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The Reel Reviewer 