We're The Millers: Definitely NOT Your Average Family

Throughout 2013 there have been several comedies to hit the big screen (A Haunted House, Identity Thief, Admission, Hangover 3, This Is The End, The Heat, Grown Ups 2, just to name a few), but only a select few have really caught my attention.  We're The Millers takes the classic family road trip movie and puts a smart and edgy R-rated twist on it.  With a "mom" who's a stripper, a rogue tarantula, a bribe-taking Mexican police officer, and a "smidge and a half" of marijuana, this movie takes you on a journey in which you won't return the same (and I consider that a good thing).

We're The Millers follows David Clark, a veteran pot dealer who is asked by his boss to move a shipment of marijuana into the U.S. from Mexico.  In order to do this, David hires a fake family as part of his plan to blend in so as to not raise suspicion while crossing the border.  Joining him on this crazy journey is Rose, a local stripper, Kenny, a naive teenager from his apartment building whose single mom takes off and leaves him on his own, and Casey, a smartass runaway.

Directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story), and written by Bob Fisher & Steve Faber (Wedding Crashers) and Sean Anders & John Morris (Hot Tub Time Machine), this team has more than enough comedic knowledge to make this film a success.  And in this critic’s opinion, it was.  It definitely stands out as one of the summer's funniest comedies (my top choice is still This Is The End).

Packed with an all-star cast, We're The Millers takes a classic movie formula (the family road trip) and gives it enough twists and turns to make it fresh and entertaining.  Jason Sudeikis plays the main character, David, and is joined by his former Horrible Bosses costar, Jennifer Aniston as Rose.  These two have great on-screen chemistry whether they are getting along or bickering back and forth.  Aniston is in her prime in these types of low brow, racy, adult R-rated comedies and looks gorgeous as always.  Sudeikis has definitely grown as an actor, from his time on 30 Rock and SNL to his roles in Hall Pass and Horrible Bosses.  With his hilarious references to Meryl Streep and Oprah to his impression of Bane from The Dark Knight Rises, Sudeikis definitely owned this film.  I am excited to see where his career is headed.

Sudeikis isn't the only one who has grown as an actor.  Playing the role of Casey "Miller" is Emma Roberts.  You may remember her from such films as Nancy Drew (where she played the title character) and Hotel for Dogs; this role is a complete 180 from those.  Her character has a more angst driven, adult oriented, sarcastic attitude, which works perfectly for this movie.  And then there's Kenny, played by newcomer Will Poulter.  His first big movie was the 2010 film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  His character’s awkwardness and boyish demeanor were portrayed beautifully in this film.  The only concern that I have about him is that he will become typecast into these kinds of roles, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.  Also joining the cast is Ed Helms (The Hangover) as David’s boss, and Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn (both of Parks & Recreation), and Molly Quinn (Castle) as the Fitzgerald family, another RV family that the "Millers" meet along the way.

We're The Millers isn't a movie that's going to redefine comedies, nor should it.  It's a fun ride with entertaining characters, a strong cast and smart line-by-line dialog.  I was pleasantly pleased with this film and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh and fun experience.

Josh's Rating: 7.5/10