Tim Lippe has no idea what he's in for when he's sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself under the "guidance" of three convention veterans.
Not exactly laugh-aminute, Cedar Rapids’ mix of crude and sweet is an acquired taste. But all hail the mighty Ed Helms for yet another masterclass in comedy and pathos.
One of those sunny-natured indie comedies that comes out of nowhere to put a smile on your face.
Director Miguel Arteta tends to underplay the script's broadest comedy and most obvious set-ups, and John C Reilly's Deanzie is an energetically guilty pleasure. Above all, Helms makes Tim's good- natured naivety rather touching and something to root for.
A foul-mouthed but good-natured comedy.
Helms suffers from a post-Hangover hangover, in that you can’t help be reminded at first that he’s played this kind of character before, but a first-rate supporting cast helps to smooth over that initial bump. Positive appraisal ratings all round.
Its breezy charm papers over narrative cracks and minor annoyances.
Miguel Arteta’s indie comedy starts sweetly enough but becomes ever broader, less plausible, and more paradoxically stuck-up as it goes along.
Cedar Rapids slowly squanders its apparently fruitful set-up, heading towards a weak, sappy ending that tries for sweetness, but leaves a sickly saccharine aftertaste.
It's an odd comedy that provokes admiration more for its acting than for its gags. I kept wishing it could be, well, not super-awesome, exactly – just better.
A comedy that entertains.
An uneven, but generally watchable, comedy.
It's funny, offensive, well acted and pointless.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
RSS feed of Cinema reviews