Get Him to the Greek [Blu-ray]

 

 

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Warning: If you can't sit 2 hours through anything with Jonah Hill or Russell Brand, don't even finish reading this review. Just hit your "back" button now and buy something else.

Get Him to the Greek is the new movie that spins-off the Aldous Snow (Russell Brand) character from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Snow is back to his hard-partying ways, and his relationship with singer Jackie Q is on the rocks. Worse, his most recent album with Infant Sorrow, African Child, is a comercial and critical bust. (The New Musical Express has dubbed it "the worst thing to happen to Africa since apartheid".)

Meanwhile, Aaron Green (Hill) works for Sergio (Sean "Puffy" Combs) at Pinnacle Records, who are looking for fresh ideas to restart the company. Hill suggests a 10th anniversary concert for Infant Sorrow at the Greek theater, to commemorate their most celebrated performance. Spin it off into a serious of reissues, live albums, and DVDs and you have a potential game changer. Sergio orders Green to get Snow to the Greek.

This sets into motion a series of events to test Green's resolve and Snow's stamina for partying. Getting Snow to the Greek is not as easy as it sounds. A notorious rock star type, Snow has no interest in doing anything besides living in the moment, even if it means missing flight after flight after flight. The plot here is not complicated, it's just a series of funny misadventures as Green desperately tries to steer Snow in the right direction. Add in a couple unnessesary side plots about the girlfriends of both main characters.

The humour of this movie is anchored by the amiable Brand, and Jonah Hill playing a less loudmouthed version of Jonah Hill, and the absolutely hilarious Combs as Sergio. It was Combs who surprised me the most, as he stole every scene he was in. I also enjoyed the celebrity cameos which I won't spoil except to say that even Sarah Marshall shows her face. I really want to spoil one cameo -- Jackie Q hooks up with somebody famous -- but I won't.

Blu-ray is fully loaded. Rated and unrated versions. Deleted scenes. Commentaries. And so on. You know the drill! Most entertaining are a series of live concert clips of Russell in character as Aldous Snow with Infant Sorrow. There are actually a whole bunch of bonus songs on the blu-ray, totally worth the purchase to have these. The big surprise was a live version of "Dracula's Lament" with Jason Segal and an understated Jack Black.

Get Him to the Greek lacks Sarah Marshall's heart, but it does lampoon rock stars and the music industry quite effectively. Luckily, Aldous Snow's love of rock and roll grounds him again, and this movie.

4 stars.

Get Him To The Greek continues the story of Aldous Snow who we first met in the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Snow is once again played by the energetic and charismatic Russell Brand who essentially plays himself. This very much the same character that was featured in Forgetting Sarah Marshall only he's not sober this time around. I loved the character and though Russell Brand delivered a great performance so it's no surprise I wanted to see Get Him To The Greek, a continuation of the character but not a sequel. I can't imagine anyone more fitted for this role than Brand, this role was tailor-made for him. Jonas Hill who played another character in the same movie is back this time around but he plays a different character in that of Aaron, a likeable guy who's a passionate music fan. Also worth mentioning is Elisabeth Moss as Daphnee, Aaron's longtime girlfriend who is of importance here. Sean Combs a.k.a P.Diddy makes an appearance as Record executive Sergio and proves he can act; his scenes are highlights of the film.

The movie begins by introducing rockstar Aldous Snow who is an internationally famous frontman from the band Infant Sorrow. Snow's career is on the decline following the release of his latest album "African Child". Aldous' wife, popstar Jackie Q leaves him and he starts to drink again after being sober for 7 years and he ends up on the cover of many tabloid magazines covering his fall from superstardom . A concert at the Greek Theatre (where the movie gets its title) is arranged for Aldous and could set him back on the right path. The Greek was were Aldous recorded the best selling live album of all time (that's fictional of course). Record company employee Aaron gets his big break as is chosen to escort Aldous Snow to the concert in 72 hours and is in charge of making sure Snow gets there on time, does the soundcheck etc. Aaron gets to experience the rockstar life many of us fantasize about which often leads to over the top and hilarious situations. Of course managing a world famous rockstar on the decline for 72 hours isn't the easiest thing there is so there are lots of fun and interesting twists that make Get Him To The Greek not a perfect, but a rather very enjoyable comedy.

Get Him To The Greek is a good look at the music industry even if there are instances where it pokes fun at it. In an early scene there is even a Record company meeting with the boss and his employees who basically tells them that nobody buys CDs anymore. It shows some of the over the top and Spinal Tap aspects of the music business which manages to be both and entertaining. You get a certain sense that Get Him To The Greek pokes fun at rockstars and the music industry but there is also a part that celebrates music and portrays just how musicians are glorified for what they do.

The songs performed by Infant Sorrow for the soundtrack of the film (of which there are a few: "The Clap", "Going Up" and "Furry Walls" for instance which are performed in the movie) are excellent and fit the movie very well as well as being good fun songs. Music being an integral part of the movie I just thought I'd add that the Infant Sorrow and Jackie Q songs are fun and have their place here just like the other artists featured.

Brand and Hill are a winning combination, they make a good team together and are fun to watch interact. There are many drugs references and use, alcohol abuse and some sexual content just so you know so this may not be for the younger ones. Get Him To The Greek is not an amazing 5 stars movie but for the fun and entertainment it provided, in my opinion based on how much I enjoyed it, to me at least it's worth a 4. It helps if you're a music fan but doesn't matter if you aren't. I personally really liked it because it had much to do with music. It's a brilliant look at music superstardom and it doesn't take itself too seriously, almost like a modern version of Spinal Tap. Clever, funny and entertaining 4/5.

AMAZING how Mr. Brand plays the Rock Star.
I will prefer to see him in the future "Queen" movie than Mr. Sacha Baron Cohen.
If you look the way that Mr. Brand play, you can imagine/see Freddie Mercury.

Anyway, a good movie with a nice story. I wish all the best to Mr. Brand.

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