Will Ferrell: Quality vs. Quantity

So, the question is, how do two of the funniest people on the planet make one of the most frustrating films to come out in quite awhile? Well, the simple answer is over-confidence, but the right answer is a little more complex.

Step Brothers has the talent and the premise to be a legendary comedy, right up there with 40 Year Old Virgin and Stripes, but unfortunately, it lacks the heart, direction, and depth of those far superior films. Dale and Brennan don't exist. Never at any point do either of them even come close to vaguely representing real human beings. They're beyond caricatures. They're excuses for Ferrell and Reilly to goof around. Step Brothers would be more accurately titled Will Ferrell's New Project because the film itself is less a movie and more an excuse to try out new gags. Anchorman's Ron Burgandy is a real person. So is Buddy from Elf and even Frank from Old School. They remind us of people we know and possess characteristics we do. That's why they'll be fondly remembered. Unlike Dale and Brennan.