PLOT: Three buddies (Anders Holm, Blake Anderson & Adam Devine) working in a hotel think they’ve found someone to finance their video game in billionaire Bey Awadi (Utkarsh Ambudkar), only to have him taken hostage by terrorists. Now, the three must rescue their benefactor, but the stoners are no match for heavily armed killers – or are they?
REVIEW: Confession time – I’ve never watched “Workaholics” and I only know the leads from their other work, specifically Adam Devine from PITCH PERFECT and Anders Holm from some solid Sundance indies. So, I can’t say whether or not GAME OVER, MAN is a good extension of their brand, as I know nothing about their sensibility to begin with. But, I have to imagine that whatever their show was, it had to have been better than this mostly lame comedy, which is a step-up from Netflix’s Adam Sandler flicks – but not by much.
The juvenile humor makes this feel like a leftover from the early aughts, much in-line with how the recent CHIPS felt, with broad, gay stereotypes and dick humor, with Devine dropping trou for a full frontal nude scene that doesn’t serve much of a purpose – maybe he’s trying to shock us? Been there, done that. In 2018, full frontal male nudity isn’t all that provocative. Holm, Howey, and Devine play shlubby heroes who try to unleash their inner Bruce Willis when thrown into a DIE HARD situation (with Neal McDonough and Rhona Mitra as the baddies), and while there are some neat gore fx in this more violent than expected spoof, its curiously short on laughs.
The film relies on an abundance of cameos from viral stars, with people such as Action Bronson and Sugar BayBee getting star treatment, but if you’re like me and don’t know who they are, the jokes will go over your head. I did recognize Steve-O and Joel McHale, but they’re in-and-out pretty quick, while the only kinda fun bit comes from Shaggy, although it’s been spoiled in the trailer (obvious why as it’s the best scene in the movie).
Of the three leads, the only one I found kind of funny was Holm when he did his laid-back Chevy Chase thing, but when he started to do schtick, such as he does when he’s supposed to be high, GAME OVER, MAN becomes deadly unfunny. Devine is… loud, while Anderson has a few good bits as the “brains” of the trio – but their chemistry won’t fool anyone into thinking they’re the next Marx Bros.
In the end, I'm probably being too hard on GAME OVER, MAN and it might be exactly what “Workaholics” fans want, but it does nothing to change my mind about how far comedy has fallen in the last few years. I miss the heyday of Judd Apatow produced movies, and other, smart R-rated comedies. This didn’t have to be THE DEATH OF STALIN, but it could have used a least a bit more wit. It’s dumb- but not in a good way – and it’s just another disposable straight-to-Netflix movie.