Greek Comedy

I was enough of a fan of the film Forgetting Sarah Marshall to give a chance to the spin-off movie Get Him to the Greek. Russell Brand's wild rocker character from the earlier film was ported over into this story, in which a young record label lackey must escort the singer to a concert, racing against the clock.

The connection between the films is tenuous, both on and off the screen. Sarah Marshall writer (and star) Jason Segel only consulted on this movie, and contributed to some of the original song compositions that appear here. And there is a bit of a feeling that despite having his name on the movie, producer Judd Apatow may have just "rubber stamped" it all.

There's definitely a different tone here. Forgetting Sarah Marshall was, at its core, a rather sweet story with a healthy dose of strangeness. Get Him to the Greek doesn't really have much of an emotional core to it, and slides the needle more in the direction of "gross out" comedy (though certainly coming nowhere near pegging it).

But all that said, it doesn't mean that Get Him to the Greek isn't also an enjoyable movie, it its own way. A big point in its favor is its excellent cast. Russell Brand may be taking a large role here, but his "funnier in small doses" status is somewhat preserved by making Jonah Hill the main focus of the action. And, as Jonah Hill has shown in several funnier-than-they-should-be comedies, he's a great comic lead.

Colm Meaney, who I of course know best as O'Brien from Star Trek (but who also chewed scenery as the villain of Hell on Wheels) takes an unexpected comedic turn in this film, and is pretty damn funny. Sean Combs is pretty hilarious as the wild executive bossing Hill's character around. Elizabeth Moss hits many of the same quietly defiant notes here that she does as Peggy on Mad Men, but does get in a few good jokes. And many musicians make funny cameos as themselves, including Lars Ulrich and Pink.

But the real "rock star" of the film is Rose Byrne. I know her best on the legal drama Damages, where she plays one of the most humorless characters on television. When I saw her in Bridesmaids, I thought that it was an interesting stretch without actually stretching for her -- the severe, straight role in a comedy movie. But here, she's an outrageous character and one of the funniest elements of the movie. I'm beginning to think of her as an Alec Baldwin or Leslie Neilsen, performers who started out in drama, but who really shined when they started taking more comedic roles.

Get Him to the Greek certainly wouldn't make any list of "funniest movies" I could imagine, but it's good for a laugh or two. I grade it a B-.