Few people in Hollywood can play awkward losers better than Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, so clearly casting can’t be blamed for the lack of laughs. I noticed a light chuckle pass through the audience as the movie started with that old “wings take dream” quote from George W. Bush, but for most of the rest of the movie, the majority of the laughs were coming from the kids, who really shouldn’t have been there in the first place. Will Ferrell, for example, “tea-bags” a drum set in the movie.

I should admit that I find the majority of this American Pie-style humor to be immediately and intensely boring, like seeing someone get kicked in the nuts. In the right situation, such a thing can generate a response, but generally it’s just bonehead toilet humor, and I have come to expect more than that from Ferrell and Reilly.

You may remember that Adam McKay teamed up with Will Ferrell twice before, for Ron Burgundy and Talladega Nights, and this is essentially the same film with a different name. The plot is pretty meaningless, as it’s mostly a vehicle for Ferrell and Reilly to conduct some crude skits, like a Saturday Night Live show without the constraints of tv censors. Since all the stops are pulled, the movie overflows with lots of cussing and sex jokes and more cussing.

Mary Steenburgen and Richard Jenkins play Nancy and Robert, who are the unlucky parents of Brennan (Ferrell) and Dale (Reilly). Both have a 40 year old loser of a son still living at home and unemployed, and when this causes them to fall in love and get married, suddenly Brennan and Dale find themselves living together and, get this, sharing a room.

Now, there are two ways to make a cookie-cutter comedy like this. One is to have the guys just be lazy couch potatoes too irresponsible to get off their asses and find a job and get a freaking life (note: that’s the one that will make a better movie), or you could just have the two lead characters be 40-year-old children.

Unfortunately, Step Brothers chooses the latter. Brennan and Dale are essentially 10-year-old kids, but we’re supposed to fall over laughing because they’re 40. They collect action figures, get grounded, sleep in their jammies, receive spankings while bent over daddy’s knee, cry at the dinner table, and get beaten up by groups of schoolkids. Real ones.

I would be lying if I said the movie was completely devoid of laughs, but I’d also be lying if I said the movie was funny. There are a few chuckles (one of the job interview scenes has an amusing moment in it, thanks to a brief cameo by Seth Rogen, who I recommend you go see in Pineapple Express rather than wasting your time with this), but the majority of the movie is too obviously an excuse for a lot of sick jokes and bodily noises. No thanks.

The relationship between their parents is also a totally separate soap opera drama that seems completely out of place in this movie except for their occasional bouts of wild profanity. Their disintegrating marriage is so seriously presented that it’s even harder to laugh at any of the tasteless comedy.

This might be a good rental on a Saturday night when you’re hanging out at home getting drunk with your buddies, but any laughs you get in the theater will soon be lost when you remember that you spent $11 to see it…

Rocky, the celebrity bear, killed trainer Stephan Miller,39, yesterday. Rocky is most recently known for his scene in Will Ferrell’s Semi-Pro, where he wrestles Will Ferrell’s character. The 5 year old 700 pound bear is one of many animals at the Predators in Action training center owned by Stephan Miller’s cousin, Randy Miller. Randy has been an animal trainer for 25 years and his animals have appeared in movies like, “The Postman,” “The Last Samurai,” and “Gladiator.” In an interview in February Randy stated that Rocky was, “The best working bear in the business,” and all of his trainers would agree. Rocky seemed to obediently follow cues. Randy also stated in the same interview that, ” If one of these animals gets your throat, you’re finished” and that is exactly what happened to Stephan.

Stephan and two other trainers were working with Rocky when he suddenly attacked him, grabbing him by the neck. The other two trainers quickly subdued the bear with pepper spray and immediately called paramedics. The paramedics tried to revive Stephan but his injuries were to severe. A representative for Fish and Game said that because the training center is located outside their jurisdiction the decision whether or not to euthanize the bear will be left to San Bernardino County Animal Control. I am sure that the poor bear will be killed just like Siegfried and Roy’s white tiger. So sad.

Heidi Klum and Will Ferrell got together to do a photo shoot with Sports Illustrated and the results were hilarious!

In the Q & A for the magazine article, Will said Heidi was a “wildcat.  Pretty much every shot came down to one of us trying to get the other’s pants off…”  and went on to say, “Heidi kept trying to get me in my underwear.  Begging, really.”  You should pick up the issue and read the entire article as it is completely ridiculous and very entertaining; filled with more of typical Ferrell hilarity.

Ferrell’s newest movie, Semi-Pro, is the impetus behind the shoot.  The film will be in theaters on February 29th.  If you go to the official Semi-Pro website (www.semipromovie.com), you can see an age restricted trailer.  You must be at least 17 years old to view this preview as the MPAA concluded that it included adult material.

Also starring in Semi-Pro is Woody Harrelson, Andre’ Benjamin, and Will Arnett (Arrested Development fans will be happy!).  The film is directed by Kent Alterman who also produced Mr. Woodcock, Balls of Fury, and Elf among many many other films.