Cedar Rapids (2011)

This is a purely nice and even heartwarming comedy. Sure, most the characters are one dimensional presentations but somehow the movie connects just enough to make it worth while. There are no real side splitting laughs. In fact, I would barely call this a comedy at all if not for the efforts of John C. Reilly. He absolutely steals the show. His work may not be classified as side splitting but it comes really really close. We've all seen it before but not without Will Ferrell to partner up with and bounce ideas off. Reilly proves he needs no one else to be funny. Still, this is a human interest story plain and very simple. Note: Anne Heche has still got it and was MILFing up the screen at every turn. What a wonderful woman.

Fmovies: I love this movie, really good dry humor. Don't listen to the whiners. Favorite line, "I apologize for my role in the malfeasance in the pool last night.". the movie is filled with ridiculous situations, a insurance salesman conference in a conference center covered with cheap wooden wall paneling. The star wears nerdy looking turtleneck brown sweaters. Some of the funniest movie lines I've heard "..oh I see your eatin' the canned tuna from the bottom shelf.". All the insurance salesmen (and women) are waaay to excited to be at the "ASMI" conference, it is obviously the highlight of their life. Dirty sexcrets everywhere underneath the blanket of these godly insurance salespeople. I can't think of a comedy like it, it builds on you.

Deciding to watch this was totally based on the IMDb reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect. Happily after watching this twice in a few days I can say it really hit the spot.

Not being a huge fan of any of the leads and not having seen anything of Ed Helms prior I was not expecting anything brilliant here, but I really enjoyed this both times watching. I would regard this as a feel good comedy rather than a straight out comedy. Some of the humour would not be appreciated by everyone and will probably be regarded as quite silly, but I think it suited the movie.

John C. Reilly's movies can be a bit hit and miss, as his humour tends toward toilet humour in many cases and if you are not into that it can be a bit of a turn off. While some of the humour is a bit lowbrow, if you can get over that you will enjoy this movie.

I gave it a 7 out of 10 and will be watching it again.

Cedar Rapids fmovies. OK, so I seen this film on IMDb with quite a good rating and wanted to know what the fuss was about so, I proceeded to purchase and watch the movie, I have to tell you I put it on expecting it to be terrible, and for the first 10 minutes I did find it pretty boring with jokes that just didn't really make the cut but believe me people once the real storyline kicks in, this movie can be pretty hilarious in places, with characters that EVERYBODY will love, I have seriously not seen a movie in a long time where I felt as if I liked the characters this much, overall its a short laugh riot, which really does deserve the rating it gets online, its only on for around 1hour and 20 minutes, and the jokes come every 1 - 2 minutes so you should be entertained throughout the whole movie.

My first 2011 film. It's a pretty unambitious comedy, but it survives because of a fantastic cast. Too fantastic, really. I have to wonder what drew them to this rather middling material. Ed Helms (of The Office and The Daily Show) stars as a sheltered insurance salesman from a small town in northern Wisconsin who is drafted by his boss (Stephen Root) to go to an insurance conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He's pretty inexperienced with life outside his own little bubble, and he gets led astray by troublemaker John C. Reilly. The film also co-stars Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. (who co-starred in HBO's The Wire, a series for which the character espouses a lot of love), Anne Heche (extremely good - probably the only good thing I've ever seen her done), Sigourney Weaver, Alia Shawkat (of the TV series (not the rap group) Arrested Development) and Kurtwood Smith (of That 70s Show and RoboCop). I wanted to see this one because of its Midwestern setting. Part of me was afraid that it would be Hollywood making fun of Midwesterners, but it's pretty gentle. Helms may play a sheltered small-town guy, but it's just him (Reilly's character is from Steven's Point, WI, and he's not a rube; he is a drunk, though). The film actually has a lot of affection for the Midwest, and it has a lot of heart.

Cedar Rapids is 2011's second overlooked comedy gem, with the first being the retro throwback Take Me Home Tonight. This is a subtle, funny, witty, and different film that has innocent characters, with one thing in common - their job. These characters could very well be America's second wolfpack.

I always wonder what would happen if these type of films, underrated comedies, got the same attention and recognition films like The Hangover and Pineapple Express got. Would we hear more quotes and references from these films? Would America have a different taste in humor? Would Cedar Rapids set the bar for newer comedies? It's all "would's" and "what if's." The plot: Naive insurance salesman Tim Lippe (Helms) is what some may call a "loser." He lives a quiet life, isn't the most social person, and sleeps with his old fourth grade teacher (Weaver). Tim has to attend an insurance convention in Cedar Rapids, and this will be the first time he has flown or stayed in a hotel. He believes everyone will be as nice as back home, but in fact, everyone is different and the real-world will bite Tim in the rear.

Tim stays in a suite with three people;. He meets soft-spoken, quiet-man Ronald Wilkes (Whitlock Jr.). Loud-mouth, party animal Dean Ziegler (Reilly). And married, but sweet Joan (Heche). This group of new-friends are all after one thing; an award that the manager of the convention, (Smith), will give to one representative of their company.

This is one of those rare occasions where the characters are so sweet, so innocent, and so well-developed I want to just hug them. Each character is likable in their own way. Even Ziegler, who is not a victim of his simpleton self or his own stupidity like Alan from The Hangover, is a very serious and loving guy despite his hard-partying self.

Certain films, once again referring back to The Hangover, rely on antics to carry the comedy which is perfectly fine with me. But when the antics play like a "how-far-can-we-go-type-of-comedy" the result becomes a repetitive and unenjoyable comedy. Cedar Rapids has antics, but not antics just for the purpose of a cheap, gross-out laugh and that's what makes this gem stand out.

If 2011 doesn't offer any more hilarious comedies, which I highly doubt, The Art of Getting By, Bridesmaids, Cedar Rapids, Hall Pass, and Take Me Home Tonight proudly make 2011 one funny year.

Starring: Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Kurtwood Smith, Stephen Root, Mike O'Malley, Sigourney Weaver , and Alia Shawkat. Directed by: Miguel Arteta.