Get Him to the Greek

Posted by The Amateur Critics Guild on October 28, 2010

Christopher’s Take

The venerable Aldous Snow is back! Done with Sarah Marshall and on to bigger and better things in his rockstar lifestyle, or at least it seems…

Aaron Green, played by Jonah Hill, who’s played in such notable and conflicting roles as  ‘Matthew the Waiter’ in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” is a spry, young lad with a twinkle in his eye and a good head on his shoulders. He’s got a steady girlfriend (Elizabeth Moss aka Peggy Olson from AMC’s “Mad Men”), a sweet pair of wheels, and a rising star at a record company. In a stroke of under-pressure genius, Green suggests long-time rock idol Snow perform in concert at LA’s Greek Theater to reignite his career and bring in boat loads of cash for boss Sergio Roma played by Sean ‘Puff Daddy P. Diddy’ Combs. Calamity and hilarity ensue…

“Get Him to the Greek” is funny. It invokes many short “haha’s” with a speckling of truly deep belly laughs. Snow’s rocker attitude and off-the-deep end lifestyle force Green to mediate and intervene, keeping him at a moderate level of sanity–not up here, not down here, but right here. As a greenhorn, he rarely succeeds in reining Snow’s alcohol, drug, sexual, and general partying desires often resulting in some level of barfing from Green himself–Snow is a pro.

Where “Greek” truly succeeds is in its extension of “Sarah Marshall” but not as a true sequel. The film suggests through subtle songs and quips it’s and Snow’s history, but is able to take the arguably most interesting character from the original and dive into his psychosis making for an interesting story arc. Yes, you see Snow as he was originally portrayed, but you also get a glimpse into his past and personal struggles which balance the comedic wrapper. It’s kind of like a chocolate covered pretzel. The saltiness makes the sweetness that much more pleasurable, and vice versa.

The other success of this film is with Diddy himself. A crazed boss that can’t help but stick his dick in your mind, he’s either red hot or calm as a cucumber. His rage causes Green stress pulled the other way by Snow’s inability to be normal, putting him in ‘uncomfortable’ positions ultimately entertaining you the viewer. One can’t help but believe this is how he and all record studio executives actually are.

“Get Him to the Greek” is an enjoyable watch that was one of the better films and comedies of 2010. If you haven’t seen it yet, it deserves a definite spot on the Netflix queue.

An aside brought to you by Christopher: It was brought to my attention by this very film that select movie studios are no releasing “rental” versions of their films, restricting the viewer to the theatrical release and no more…you’ll see what bonus features are available, you’ll see that there’s an extended/unrated version of the film, however you will not be able to access these features since you only paid to rent the video instead of buying it. Well you know what, the movie studios can go f*ck themselves in the a$% with a big rubber dildo. I don’t give a damn about the bonus features. I’m already paying for the right to watch the movie. As a legitimate customer and consumer, restricting my value is not a way to suck more money out of my wallet. If you as a studio don’t like piracy, then stop being a douche and treat your customers with some respect.

The Verdict:

Benjamin’s Take

Ah yes, the next installment of the Judd Apatow world with many of his favorite cast members. Now this is not a Judd Apatow directed movie, but it is produced by his company and therefore can be considered a part of the Apatow universe.

Get Him To The Greek follows the return of cinema’s resident rock star, Aldous Snow, who you will remember from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. However, Jonah Hill’s character is not the same from FSM. And no matter what you hear about this movie being this summer’s The Hangover…..well, they are mostly right. I found myself, much like The Hangover, crying with laughter. If it wasn’t the vast array of celebrities that continued to appear, it was Hill, Brand, or Sean Combs (a.k.a. Puffy, P. Diddy).

At this point, I’m almost certain that Aldous Snow is Russell Brand and not the other way around. He perfectly portrays every stereotype possible for a rock star but it doesn’t seem copied but unique. There was never a point where I thought character was broken or I was seeing anything other than Aldous Snow one of the greatest rockers ever.

Jonah Hill provides the quick wit that he always does, but Sean Combs is the real king of the screen here as he continued to steal the show whenever he was shown. Maybe he was making fun of himself or any other record mogul he has met, but it worked and worked well. He was over the top but it made perfect sense each time for the character and situation. Whatever you might have seen in the trailer for the movie, pales to what is shown on screen. I mean, he can even eat his own head.

Overall, I might have enjoyed The Hangover more, but I believe that GHTTG had the funnier single scene. The large “battle” in the Vegas hotel was hysterical from start to finish. Each time you thought it was going to end, a new bit is presented that cranks up the laughter even harder.

The Verdict:

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