Ridiculously absurd, yet undeniably entertaining, Step Brothers is a hilariously fun concept from the Will Ferrell division of the Apatow clan. While the film uses the idea of a “man-child” that never left home and takes it to hilarious extremes, audiences will really respond to the fact that Brennan Huff is Ferrell’s most likeably innocent character since Buddy the Elf.

When Dr. Robert Doback (Richard Jenkins) falls head over heels for Nancy Huff (Mary Steenburgen), the aging couple decides to get hitched right away. The one problem they face? They each have a middle-aged son that still lives at home. Believing in their own self-importance and their need to keep their parent’s affection, Dale (John C. Reilly) and Brennan (Ferrell) begin a sibling rivalry that threatens to tear the new family apart. However when a common enemy threatens to destroy their lifelong coasting, the stepbrothers team up to preserve their way of life.

The third collaborative feature between director Adam McKay, producer Judd Apatow and star Will Ferrell, Step Brothers could be their most consistently funny picture yet. While bearing a few similarities to other Apatow produced films, like the use of male genitalia and a simple, yet entirely ridiculous theatrical poster, Step Brothers defies the conventions of previous entries by letting loose a completely unhinged Ferrell and Reilly. 

The most noticeable change in formula for this Apatow comedy is the lack of a romantic subplot. While far removed from the producer’s raunchy rom-coms, even Anchorman and Talladega Nights involved hints of romance. Not Step Brothers. The group’s latest comedy focuses on what happens when two immovable alpha males collide, and the results are chaotically funny.

The picture does everything it can to make Dale and Brennan seem to be the most pathetic characters ever put on screen. Using visual gags to underscore their childishness, like having Farrell sit in the backseat while riding in the car with his mother, the fact that the titular stepbrothers truly believe they are the coolest cats around makes the whole scenario utterly hilarious. Think Napoleon and Pedro with an R-rated, testosterone driven edge.

From the time we see the two brothers face off for the first time, across their front yard with the title of the picture dividing them, you know you’re in for a wild ride. Yet as fun as it is to watch Ferrell and Reilly go head to head, trying to out due one another with wildly inane dialogue, the best moments in the film come when the duo team up to take down a common enemy, Brennan’s more successful, younger brother, Derek (Adam Scott). Watching Dale and Brennan cleverly outsmart their brother as he attempts to sell the family’s house is an absolute riot. In fact your jaw is almost guaranteed to drop.

As we saw in Talladega Nights, there is an incredible chemistry shared between Ferrell and Reilly, and Step Brothers exploits it. This is not a laugher that relies on gross-out sight gags; rather it is a comedy that reflects the zaniness of the actors and their ability to create shocking, albeit hilarious quips. This is one uproarious family you are certainly going to want to marry into.    

-Joe Russo