Spoiler Alert

“Our Idiot Brother,” starring the perfect-for-the-role Paul Rudd, is funny, but not as funny as you’d expect it to be. Rudd plays Ned, the moronic brother of three semi-successful siblings on the quest to make all of those around him happy.  This happy go-lucky stoner constantly messes up, from attempting to sell drugs to a cop in uniform to stealing his dog back from his ex-girlfriend. Rudd’s character is the idiot who you can’t help but love.

While all Ned does is attempt to help his siblings and bring happiness to others, this is his biggest downfall. Happiness is something he can’t seem to grant when he constantly messes up his family’s lives and continually ruins any opportunities they might have at success in business and in their personal lives. In the end, Rudd and his family end up happy. Rudd gets back his dog (but not his ex). The only thing that doesn’t end well is the feeling you get when you leave the theatre. You’re left questioning, “What was the point?”

I’d give the movie 2 stars out of 5. While it was a good story idea, the plot lacked depth and the comedic relief was too weak to balance out the more serious parts of the movie. With more serious instances than jokes, this movie doesn’t deliver comedy or live up to what it was portrayed to be.

photo courtesy Thao Music