Ever since the massive success of 2009 smash-hit The Hangover, a series of R-rated comedies have attempted to imitate and capitalize on the blend of well-crafted, raunchy dialogue and situational absurdity that made the movie such a success. With Cedar Rapids, director Michael Artera takes imitation one step further, borrowing Hangover star Ed Helms. And although Helms brings some of the same wide-eyed naiveté and general beaten-down demeanor to the lead role in Cedar Rapids, the script unfortunately does not give him nearly as much to work with. The film, though intermittently funny, doesn’t have the dialogue or the absurdity that this kind of comedy needs to really take off.
Helms plays Ted Lippe, a decidedly average insurance agent who has never left his small-town slice of Wisconsin. But when death strikes a superstar co-worker by way of some good ol’ autoerotic asphyxiation, Lippe is forced to represent the company at an insurance convention in faraway Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although the movie ostensibly follows Lippe’s attempt to impress the convention president enough to secure a prestigious award for his company, the plot is only sometimes important. Instead, most of the film centers on the unfamiliar situations and wacky antics Lippe encounters as he adjusts to the city and interacts with his convention companions—the foul-mouthed Ziegler (John C. Reilly), the straight-laced Ron (Isaiah Whitlock Jr.), and the flirtatious Joan (Anne Heche).
Since the film’s plotline is mainly an excuse to set up the fish-out-of-water scenario, Cedar Rapids is left to be carried by Lippe’s various comedic situations—drinking with his co-stars at the convention bar, drunken pool swimming, a company scavenger hunt, and a raucous, drug-fueled house party (with a cameo from Hot Tub Time Machine’s Rob Corddry). Unfortunately, none of these are unique fare for comedy, and the movie lacks the guts to push situations to a level where humor might come from audacity alone.
The film manages several genuine laugh-out-loud lines, but these aren’t delivered with enough frequency to keep it from periodically sagging. Most of the dialogue rests at chuckle-level humor, although the always talented Reilly manages to score more hits than misses when he is on screen. Adding to the film’s unfunny nature are a few surprisingly cynical subplots, like Lippe’s budding affair with the married Joan, that don’t jibe with the overall tone of the movie.
While it boasts some comedic star-power and a reasonable showcase for Ed Helms’ talents, Cedar Rapids is generally lame. The plot is not engaging enough, and the situations not ridiculous or entertaining enough for it to rival the movie it tries to emulate. Maybe Helms should stick to scripts that let him rip his teeth out.
