The comedic mojo in “Little Brother,” such as it is, derives from placing an irresistible force against an immovable object. In this movie, directed by Matt Spicer, John Cena, as square of jaw and broad of shoulder as he’s ever been, plays Rudd, a thriving real estate agent who seems to be cruising right into a slot on a hot reality TV series. His lovely wife, Deirdre (Michelle Monaghan), is enthusiastic and supportive, as are a couple of amusingly fatuous producers played by Ego Nwodim and Caleb Hearon. Rudd’s teenage boys are a little on the feisty side, but what teen isn’t?
The only thorn in Rudd’s side is his older brother, Josh (Christopher Meloni), a stratospherically successful hedge fund guy who’s always rubbing Rudd’s face in something.
But Rudd is not the “Little Brother” of the film’s title. That would be Marcus (Eric André), who hung out with Rudd as a teen as part of a charity program that Rudd thought would look good on his college application. Marcus, who we soon see “showering” under golf course sprinklers, is quite a piece of work. When he reintroduces himself to Rudd in the hospital, the comparatively uptight man is mortified. Marcus, in his way, tries to do right by Rudd, after he is taken into Rudd’s home to recuperate. On an errand, Rudd instructs Marcus to stay inside his Porsche, period. So when Marcus hears the call of nature, he tries to urinate outside the car window.
“This is crude humor,” André ad libs in the end credits gag reel. It sure is, throughout, but the good-natured performers commit to their bits so much one can’t help but smile.
Little Brother Rated R for, well, crude humor and frequent Eric André nudity. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes. Watch on Netflix.
The post ‘Little Brother’ Review: Just the Two of Us appeared first on New York Times.
