Posted on March 12, 2011
Filed Under Entertainment, Movie Review | Leave a Comment
The comedies are taking over this movie going year and with Cedar Rapids it’s an above average laugher. The film moves along with a great deal of character build up then explodes with some very nicely staged sight gags and embarrassing situations. The fun here comes from a keenly written script and fine acting.
Anne Heche and Ed Helms play insurance reps in Cedar Rapids
The story centers on Tim Lippe (Ed Helms) an insurance man who has been on top of his game in an office that has won the prestigious Two Diamond Award for three years running. In a quirk of fate he is sent to represent the company for the first time at the annual insurance convention where he will compete for a fourth consecutive Two Diamond Award. In his way, however are his gullibility and the inexperience of dealing with his fellow salesmen.
Ed Helms plays straight laced Tim Lippe
With Ed Helms doing straight-laced comedy making Tim Lippe much like The Office character Andy Bernard or his The Hangover’s Stu Price he sets up a series of naïve gags that he easily carries throughout. But the big hitter here is the always-funny John C. Reilly as Zeigler who takes Tim under his wing and leads him into some very wacky situations.
Sure the film gets silly and predictable, but that’s what makes Cedar Rapids fun. It may not be the funniest film for 2011, but it certainly offers 90 minutes of escape from the trying times in which we live.
Cedar Rapids is rated R for crude and sexual content, language and drug use. Well it seems that most all films rated R today include a sex scene and Cedar Rapids conforms. Even Sigourney Weaver gets into the act bouncing on Ed Helms within the first ten minutes of the movie, but in this case it’s for shock effect I’m sure.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Who’d a thought Insurance could be funny. (B-)
Comments
Leave a Reply
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
