The film is a formulaic comedy that attempts to resurrect the R-rated raunch genre but fails to deliver anything fresh or memorable
Netflix loves to trumpet their championing of cinematic auteurs like Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion, Alfonso Cuarón and Greta Gerwig. But you get the feeling that what they’re really excited about is recycling tried-and-true formulas. And their movies don’t get more formulaic than the new odd couple-style comedy starring John Cena and Eric André.
If Little Brother feels familiar while you’re watching it, it’s because this is a film so pre-digested that it’s “as if a bird ate Twins, What About Bob? and Planes, Trains and Automobiles and then spit the contents into your mouth,” writes The Hollywood Reporter’s review.
What the film is about
The film involves the reunion between the uptight Rudd (Cena), a real-estate broker dealing with sibling rivalry issues and newly starring in a reality television series, and the supremely messed-up Marcus (André), whom he briefly mentored as a Big Brother while in high school decades earlier.
When Rudd gets a call from the hospital that his brother was seriously injured in an accident, he assumes they mean Josh (Christopher Meloni), his rich, much more successful older brother. So he’s shocked to discover that the patient is actually the former “little brother” whom he barely remembers. Rudd wants nothing to do with Marcus, who’s about to be released and has nowhere to go, but his good-hearted wife Dierdre (Michelle Monaghan) insists that they bring him home to recuperate.
The humor falls flat
The review notes that the film attempts to resurrect the R-rated, raunchy comedy genre, “a former theatrical staple that, with rare exceptions, has not fared well in recent years. This effort isn’t likely to restore its fortunes.”
Cue the inevitable tensions between the mismatched pair, with Rudd desperately trying to become a success while the lovable but inept Marcus messes up his life in oh-so-predictable ways.
Cena, who’s proven his solid comic chops, doesn’t manage to make his character’s endless slow burns amusing here, while André does his usual wackadoodle thing that presumably is an acquired taste. There are some funny performers on hand in the margins, including Ego Nwodim (Saturday Night Live) and Caleb Hearon (The Devil Wears Prada 2), but they can only do so much.
The verdict
“If you haven’t guessed that by the end of the film Rudd learns to love and appreciate his honorary sibling, then you just haven’t been paying attention,” the review concludes. “And true to formula, the credits feature outtakes illustrating that the actors apparently had a much better time making the movie than you will watching it.”
Release date: Friday, June 26 on Netflix
Cast: John Cena, Eric André, Michelle Monaghan, Chris Meloni, Ego Nwodim, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon
Director: Matt Spicer
Rated R, 1 hour 42 minutes
