The guys are insane, the girls are crazy, and it’s flat out really, really, really, really amusing [pauses] and make sure you print four “reallys” because it’s really, really, really, really amusing – I’m selling that, that’s why I’m here.
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Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is rated 14A. Be warned: It is not for everybody. It stands to reason that the more one laughs during a film, the less he or she will care about things like whether the protagonist has a compelling backstory or the ending is credible. But for those who are not easily offended – and particularly for those who are simply not offendable – this is a chance to laugh out loud for 98 minutes.
With a plot this thin, the film has to lean too heavily on shock situations and over-the-top language to generate any energy. That’s because their father (played by terrific character actor Stephen Root), talks about all the previous family events they’ve ruined with their antics, as well as harassing all the single women.
There’s nothing unique in the failure of “Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates”.
Zac Efron (“High School Musical”, “Neighbors”) plays Dave, with Adam Devine (“Modern Family” and “Workaholics”) co-starring as brother Mike. So when it’s time to plan their sister’s Hawaiian wedding, their parents insist they bring smart, responsible dates who will keep them from mischief.
Efron and DeVine looked sharp in navy-blue suits, and it seemed neither would struggle to find dates for a wedding in real life.
But even though the opening credits claim that the film is “inspired by the life stories of Mike and Dave Stangle” and also “based on a true story… sort of”, the movie has absolutely no connection to reality. And for all of Tatiana and Alice’s transgressive behavior – ooh, look, they’re as crude as guys can be – the script makes sure they’re good and tamed by the end. Soon they were deluged with women wanting to be chosen.
This is one of those raunchy summer comedies with a number of what used to be called “water cooler moments”, which viewers will find themselves talking about at the office the next day, not the least of which is a truly hysterical massage scene featuring Sugar Lyn Beard as the nervous bride-to-be and Kumail Nanjiani as a worldly and limber masseuse.
The film stars Adam Devine and Zac Efron as two brothers in need of a date to their sister’s destination wedding.
As added bait, the posting featured a photo illustration of Mike and Dave as centaurs, their heads superimposed on horses against a backdrop of the U.S. Constitution.
Director Jake Szymanski is a first timer, who has spent a lot of time on comedy shorts. They make an appearance on a talk show to advertise themselves to get flawless dates for them and so that is how they get the attention of Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza. While the cat does eventually come out of the bag, it doesn’t get in the way of the comedy. Before long Mike and Dave were receiving national recognition. There’s a disaster involving an argument accidentally broadcast over a live microphone and another disaster involving an all-terrain vehicle.
Maybe in a frat house at 3 a.m., when everyone is one drink away from passing out, the jokes would be amusing. Mike and Dave are aghast, demanding to see the “epic tracking shots of smiling faces” that they remember. But then, there was just plenty of comedy to go around.
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You need to go with the flow.
