MOVIE REVIEW - We're The Millers

The new comedy, We're The Millers is out this week early.  This movie is a good example of the ever changing things that today's movie going public thinks is funny.

This movie will be trashed by most critics, and liked by most that see it. Up front, this is not the movie that it is packaged to be in trailers or TV commercials.   It is far more raunchy, and at times offensive, and really not suitable for young kids.  But as I saw today, many in charge will blow right by the R rating to make sure that all see this.

This is he story of  David (Jason Sudeikis) who is a small time pot dealer in Denver.  One night he is robbed of all of his money, and his dealers money and finds himself 100 grand in the hole to the wrong people.   So his dealer Brad (Ed Helms) offers him a chance to make it right with him by going to Mexico to bring back a shipment of pot.   That actually turns out to be about a ton of pot.  At first David is reluctant, but soon finds out that he has no choice.

So David decides the best cover is to invent a fake "family" in an RV as to not attract attention to himself.  So he hires a "wife" Rose (Jennifer Aniston) a neighbor stripper who is down on her luck. A son Kenny (Will Poulter) who is this awkward, naive but nice neighbor kid whose mom has abandoned him.  And Casey (Emma Roberts) who is a homeless teen runaway.  Together they go on a Mexican journey into the belly of the cartel, and the legal system to see if they can pull it off as the Miller family.

Of course they don't really like each other at first, but from frame one you know exactly where this is going. That these 4 misfits will somehow find love in each other, and this will have a happy ending.  That of course is one of the films weaknesses.  You know precisely what will happen from the opening bell. 

This is another action comedy of sorts. There is some action, some gun play and a predictable plot.  But mostly what there is, is endless, mindless talk of male and female sexual body parts, and long discussions about feminine hygiene.  The subject matter comes down to the giggly 7th grade level, but spoken in dialogue that is clearly R.   I think 75 percent of the sentences uttered here had some sort of harsh language, or part reference.   That is the extent of their creativity for the most part, and that's a shame. Because they had a cast here that looks comfortable working together, and an idea that could have worked better.

This is an example of what sells today.   Junior high stuff, wrapped in an R rating.  Long gone are the comedies that are simply funny.  Now, if they are not offensive to many, they don't work.   I laughed at some of this, sure.  There were some really funny moments here, but after a while you're done, and you realize the guilty pleasure laughs earlier, are now faded and they now have nothing new to offer the rest of the way.

Happy ending yes, and yes, Aniston does the obligatory strip tease scene or two just because she has to play the formula all the way out.  Sudeikis is the same guy he always is and that's becoming boring.  But Roberts and Poulter as the kids to me stole the show. Poulter was really funny, when they let him. Especially in an improvised nerdy rap sing-a-long that is the movies best laugh.  And Roberts very authentic as a troubled teen.

We're The Millers.   Fans will like. Critics will hate.  I laughed some, but not enough.