Role Models

Ever since 2001’s cult fave Wet Hot American Summer, Rudd has been a thoroughbred in Wain’s absurdist comedy stable (The Ten, online shorts like “Wainy Days”). This time, he and Scott play salesmen for Minotaur Energy Drink (“Taste the Beast”) who, no surprise, have never quite grown up. Arrested after trashing their (literally) roaring sales truck, the ? pair avoid jail with a community-service gig mentoring troubled kids. The biggest challenge for Rudd, who co-wrote the script, was trying to rein in some of his raunchier ideas while working with his underage costars. “You can’t be free to improvise [or else you’ll] get into weird territory with profanity,” he says, noting “there’s children’s protective services on set.”
OUR TWO CENTS The buddy movie?meets?School of Rock concept sounds like a stretch, but Rudd’s always a charmer. 11/14

DEEP DIVE Check out Paul Rudd and friend/director David Wain dueting to Boston’s ”More Than a Feeling” on YouTube