Jennifer Aniston’s bad girl makeover continues apace with this overlong but fitfully amusing action-comedy. Shedding her Rachel Green image and plenty of outer clothing, Aniston provides the showstopping highlight as she homages Flashdance in an Aerosmith-scored sexy strip (in capri pants and sensible shoes no-less) “clearly essential to the plot” of this edgier, adult version of RV. Adding a bit more heart to her vampy head-turning performance in Horrible Bosses and a bit more tart to her traditionally bland acting, she provides a good foil to Sudeikis’s unconvincing drug dealer (although Hangover’s Ed Helms’ oily Kingpin is the one who truly threatens to steal the show).
As well as attempting to assassinate Mexican tourism, the plot also mixes in the modern day comedy tropes of marital bedroom antics, musical obsessions (here it’s bizarrely TLC) and marijuana with moderate results. Slapstick, snark and schmaltz abound as the here seriously deadpan Sudeikis showcases the whip-smart pop culture quipping (both recent and a generation ago) that made him such a Saturday Night Live favourite.
Tonally, Millers is all over the shop, jumping from sweet teen romance, to There’s Something About Mary-esque gross out and low-level dramatic intensity within minutes. Fortunately, the next laugh is never too far away.
‘We’re the Millers’ Movie Times
