Raunchy comedies continued to make money as “The Hangover Part II” was a box office hit and the female skewing “Bridesmaids” charmed audiences as well as critics. But it wasn’t enough for a film to be irreverent, crude, and vulgar, it also had to have sustained laughs.
The failures by once promising director David Gordon Green were downright depressing. “Your Highness” and “The Sitter” proved to be embarrassing for Green, whose previous dramatic work and even one stoner comedy, 2008’s “Pineapple Express,” worked so well.
But Green was not alone, another young director, Ruben Fleischer, faltered a bit with his uneven sophomore feature the high-concept low-brow treatment of “30 Minutes or Less.” Sure I liked the movie well-enough, but instead of improving upon his success with 2009’s “Zombieland,” Fleischer took a step backward in terms of story-telling relying too much on the affable and ultimately annoying babbling performances of his actors. And like a lot of folks sitting in darkened theaters around the country, I’m so over actor Danny McBride. It’s time that he give his genitalia infused comedy routine a rest before our collective heads explode.
“Bridesmaids” was the clear winner of the year with some critics including it on their top ten lists. The movie made great money and proved that girls (okay women) can carry edgy adult comedies that are engaging while at the same time very, very funny.
