Darkmatters Review: Get Him To The Greek

Get Him To The Greek (15)

Dir. Nicholas Stoller

Reviewed by Matt Adcock

It seems old rockers are always up for a comeback gig, as a Carter USM fan I’ve been to at least three of their ‘last ever gigs, ever’… Get Him To The Greek is about the comeback gig of fictional Brit rocker Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) – you might have already met him in 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

Except that drug addled Snow isn’t convinced that he’s even going to do the show at the famous Greek Theatre in L.A. and that is where young gun studio exec Aaron Green (Jonah Hill) comes in. Tasked by his crazed boss Sergio (a hilarious turn from P. Diddy / Sean Combs) with flying to London and escorting Snow to the make or break gig, Green is on a mission.

With the clock ticking Green has to deal with freak outs, drug smuggling, random groupie sex, copious drinking and various brawls – plus Snow’s mood swings in order to actually ‘get him to the Greek’… It’s by no means certain that the sold out gig will have the star perform – especially as he decides to take in random diversions en route like stopping to see his estranged father in Las Vegas.

Yes we’re deep in Judd ‘Superbad’ Apatow gross out comedy territory here and while he produces, Brand laps up the chance to strut his walking sex machine rocker stuff on the big screen again. I can take or leave Russell Brand and my expectations were set low for this (was only mildly fond of Forgetting Jessica Marshall) but Get Him To The Greek was both funnier and all round more watchable than expected.

There are some heart searching elements of the plot that delve beneath Snow’s showman persona and reveal his lonely dissatisfaction with the rock and roll lifestyle. Deep down all he really wants to get back together with his hot ex, Jackie Q (Rose ’28 Weeks Later’ Byrne). Jackie Q is a Lady Ga Ga like pop singer with hilariously filthy videos to match.

As seems to the be norm for comedies now – Get Him To The Greek is foul mouthed and leaps into sexual and bodily function jokes all guns blazing. This isn’t a movie to take your mum to (even if she is a Russell Brand fan).

Overall though – if you have a tolerance for crude humour, this Greek rascal certainly delivers lots of laughs and even manages to be a semi life-affirming flick too.

UNSEEN DELETED SCENE:

An x-rated cut scene was muted where Brand meets Nia Vardalos from My Big Fat Greek Wedding and double teams her with  Sean Combs...

Darkmatters rating: öööööööö (8 lite rom-com shootouts out of 10)

Darkmatters quick reference guide: Action 7 / Style 6 / Babes 8 / Comedy 8 / Horror 5 / Spiritual Enlightenment 1

Check out another review here (Sukhdev Sandhu)