Film is the first laugh out loud comedy of the year

With “Pineapple Express,” “Role Models” and “Zack and Miri Make a Porno” hitting the shelves recently, I was beginning to wonder when we could stop recycling last year’s fantastic, yet worn humor and actually start seeing some fresh comedy ideas this year. Enter “I Love You, Man.”

“I Love You, Man” is the first laugh out loud comedy of the year. The film, starring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, puts an original spin on the recent “bromance” trend in the media. And while Hollywood has lightly sprinkled the theme into films such as “Tropic Thunder,” “I Love You, Man” seems to be the first one to wholeheartedly bring the issues within these male-based relationships to light.

Real quick: I LOVE YOU, MAN Starring Paull Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones Directed by John Hamburg Distributed by DreamWorks Rated R Runtine 105 mins. Stater rating (out of five): ★★★★ & 1/2

The film’s storyline revolves around Peter Klaven (Rudd), a friendless soon-to-be groom who embarks on a mission to find a best man for his wedding. This mission leads the reserved real estate agent on a series of “man dates,” which made for a bulk of the film’s laughs.

The hilarity continues when Peter hosts an open house and bonds with the carefree Sydney Fife (Segel) over a ridiculous discussion of other attendees’ behavior. The meeting ultimately sets the stage for a friendship full of Peter’s awkward attempts to give his newfound friend a fitting nickname and jam sessions in Sydney’s “man cave.”

While it’s no surprise that Peter and Sydney will become the best of friends or even that Peter’s relationship with his fianceé will start to take a turn for the worst as a result, the cast makes up for the film’s predictability with their performances.

When I first saw previews for the film, I was surprised to see Rudd in the leading role because I’ve become accustomed to seeing him as the supporting player in films such as “Knocked Up,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Anchorman” and even older movies like “The Object of My Affection.” But I really have to applaud Rudd for giving up being in the back seat for a lead role, as his acting chops startlingly bring likability to a rather dull character.

Segel also shines, delivering brilliant comic timing. His stunts, which include an inappropriate wedding toast and a poor decision to start a “brawl” with Lou Ferrigno (better know as the Incredible Hulk) will undoubtedly bring in the majority of the laughs from the audience.

The film also contained a variety of supporting stars who stole from the Rudd and Segel ad-libbing show at times, including Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressly (the dysfunctional, sexually-charged couple) and certainly Rashida Jones (from “The Office”) as Zooey, Peter’s mild-mannered fianceé.

My only complaint about this movie is that it barely managed to tap into the talents of the remainder of the cast, which included J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtin and one of my personal favorites, Andy Samberg.

Regardless of this small imperfection, I still think “I Love You, Man” will be very well-received. It features raunchy humor for the guys, while still containing romantic elements that the ladies will love. Ultimately, this film didn’t have to do much courting; it had me from hello.

Contact all editor Denise Wright at [email protected].