Step Brothers (Two-Disc Unrated Edition) – DVD Review

By June L. Dec 5, 2008, 15:24 GMT

Brennan Huff, a sporadically employed thirty-nine-year-old who lives with his mother, Nancy. Dale Doback, a terminally unemployed forty-year-old who lives with his father, Robert. When Robert and Nancy marry and move in together, Brennan and Dale are forced to live with each other as step brothers. As their narcissism and downright aggressive laziness threaten to tear the family apart, these two middle-aged, immature, overgrown boys will orchestrate an insane, elaborate ...more

Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly star as forty year old men each still living at home with a single parent.  These parents meet, fall in love and get married.  If you think you have seen blended dysfunctional families, wait until you see this one.

I will admit, I do not “get” this film.  It had been recommended as a hilarious look at families trying to navigate their way through new relationships.  Well, maybe. 

Step Brothers does have some funny moments, but most of the film there is a feeling of embarrassment, as if someone has told a terribly crude joke in polite company and no one knows where to look and is wishing they were anywhere but here.  It is surprising in what is supposed to be a comedy to find a prevailing sense of brutality hidden under a light coating of humor. 

Sibling rivalry is really hatred and one-upmanship, and the parents are totally ineffectual in their assessment and handling of these problematic adult children.  I suppose that this is meant to be irony, but it comes across as scary and pathetic.  It might have worked better as a short sketch with two grown men behaving like eight year old boys, but for 98 or 106 minutes (extended cut) it is simply painful to watch. 

By turns too ridiculous and then way too serious, this film suffers from identity crisis.  If it had been played a broad farce, without so much pain and spite, it might have had a chance of being funnier.

Or it could have been more serious, and dropped the silliness of child like characters, for misunderstood and displaced adults trying to find their way in the world. 

Step Brothers (Two-Disc Unrated Edition) is presented with an astonishing amount of special features.  First there is the choice of theatrical or extended versions of the film.  Then there are extended and alternate scenes. 

There is a “line-o-rama” and a gag reel.  “Boats ‘N Hoes” is presented as a full music video, a featurette The Making of Step Brothers and commentary by Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Adam McKay and special guest NBA star Baron Davis.

Special to this 2-disc edition is a digital copy of the Extended Film, More extended and alternate scenes, deleted scenes, more on the job interviews, more Therapy Sessions, the full Prestige Worldwide Presentation, Dale vs. Brennan – Sibling rivalry, The music of Step Brothers and “more.”  The languages available are English and French for audio, and English and French for subtitles.  Parents be strongly cautioned, there is nothing in this film for the kids.

The combination of the two elements of farce and seriousness did not work in Step Brothers, and with dialog that relied almost completely on expletives the story was destined for the trash bin.

Step Brothers (Two-Disc Unrated Edition) is now available at Amazon. It is available for pre-order at AmazonUK for a Feb. 9th release. Visit the DVD database for more information.