Meet best friends Rick (Owen Wilson) and Fred (Jason Sudeikis). These two men have been married to their wives for several years (played by Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate), but things start going downhill and drastic measures are taken. They are granted a “hall pass” by their wives, entitling them to one week of freedom to do whatever they desire, with absolutely no questions or penalties for their actions (though, little do the men know, the wives venture out to have some single-life-adventures of their own). This scenario is the setup for the new film Hall Pass, brought to you by the Farrelly Brothers (There’s Something About Mary). So how do Rick and Fred fare out in the real world of singledom?
Beware of SPOILERS beyond this point!
Owen Wilson leads the charge on this new comedic venture, playing a role that is very similar in tone to Luke Wilson’s portrayal of Mitch in Old School. Both characters have good intentions, but end up getting pulled into the comedic situations by their partners in crime, who in this case is played by Jason Sudeikis. Sudeikis plays very well off Wilson’s Rick, but he is stuck with a lot more of the physical humor and is relied upon heavily for the visual gag (similar to Rob Cordry in Hot Tub Time Machine, or Will Ferrell in Old School). I did enjoy Sudeikis on the big screen; I think this is a positive start into his film career, and I look forward to seeing more of him in the future. Jenna Fischer was the other stand-out in the movie, getting the chance to play a character that wasn’t just a rehash of Pam from The Office. Jenna steps out and provides more emotional depth to the movie, rather than strictly slapstick humor.
The film tries very hard to fit into the comedy stylings found in Old School and The Hangover, but never quite reaches the peak, leading them to a tone closer to that of Hot Tub Time Machine. There are a lot of highs and lows in the film as the pacing of the humor isn’t as consistent as the audience would hope, but this doesn’t by any stretch mean that it is not fun to be along for the ride. There was a surprising amount of heart and emotion that comes across by the end of the film – viewers will likely relate to epiphanies that both men discover about themselves and their relationships. These revelations aren’t quite as predictable as the audience would guess, which is refreshing in this type of comedy.
ComicsOnline gives Hall Pass 3.5 out of 5 movies that we would probably watch again while drinking.
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