Review by James Lindorf
Josh Duhamel (Transformers) takes his turn behind the camera, making his directorial debut with Buddy Games. A raunchy R-rated comedy he co-wrote with fellow first-timers, Bob Schwartz and Jude Weng. Duhamel was able to pull in a bunch of his friends from his over 20+ year career in Hollywood, including Dan Bakkedahl (Veep), Kevin Dillon (Entourage), Olivia Munn (The Predator), James Roday Rodriguez (Psych), Dax Shepard (Mr. Kristen Bell), Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) and Nick Swardson (Grandma’s Boy). Depending on your fondness for sophomoric pranks and curse words, Buddy Games is either a laugh riot about the importance of male bonding or a salute to the worst of male behavior. Audiences can decide for themselves when Saban Films brings the film to select theaters on November 20th and releases it on DVD and Digital platforms on the 24th.
Josh Duhamel is Bob “The Bobfather” Schmidt, is the leader of a group of six lifelong friends who gathered every year to compete in absurd physical and mental challenges known as the Buddy Games. The group had a falling out five years ago after one competitor was seriously injured. When the reigning champ is put on a suicide watch for his depression, Bob reunites his pals for the Buddy Games. The addition of the chance to win $150,000 ensures each competitor will fight and party their hardest as they put their endurance, courage, and flirting skills to the test. Whether they are dodging arrows, fighting off monitor lizards, or doing their best to woo a woman before the time runs out no one is fully prepared for this year’s games.
Even though Duhamel is the group’s leader and wrote, directed, and produced Buddy Games, it isn’t Bob’s movie. The relationship at the center of the film is that of Bakkedahl’s Shelley and Swardson’s Bender who often appear more as bully and victim than best friends. Their characters are the most debased and frankly the most annoying, but the two actors revel in the outlandish actions and conversations. As with nearly all ensemble films, someone always has to take a back seat. This time, it was Dillion and Dax who each get a moment or two but could be easily removed. James Roday Rodriguez’s Zane doesn’t do much more than those guys, but he has enough one-liners and odd behaviors to keep eyes on him. The relationship between great friends is something to celebrate, and Duhamell does his best to make that shine through. The crass over the top nature of the film means that many people will write it off after seeing the trailer. Still, if you can handle the humor and get past the formulaic plot, you could do much worse than Budd Games.
On Demand, Digital and DVD: November 24th
Directed By: Josh Duhamel
Written By: Josh Duhamel, Bob Schwartz, Jude Weng
Starring: Dan Bakkedahl, Kevin Dillon, Josh Duhamel, Olivia Munn, James Roday, Dax Shepard and Nick Swardson
Run Time: 96 minutes
Rating: R for strong crude sexual content and language throughout, some graphic nudity, drug use and brief violence.
