A Review by Phil Calabro
2006, Lionsgate, Dir. Greg Coolidge - Starring Dane Cook, Dax Shepard, Jessica Simpson, Efren Ramirez, Harland Williams, Andy Dick, Brian George, Tim Bagley, Sean Whalen, Danny Woodburn, Shirly Brenner, Barbara Dodd, Alison Riamond, Emily Sandberg
'Employee of the Month' is being shipped and marketed for the younger, more appeasable audiences of today. It contains well-known faces - the much-imitated Dane Cook and the voluptuous Jessica Simpson - as well as MTV talking heads like Dax Shepard, along with a catchy soundtrack. And unlike the disappointing features that were 'You Me and Dupree' and 'Break-Up', I enjoyed this piece. In three words, the movie is: short, simple, and funny. (Yes, that was four if you were counting.) But let's be honest - the comedy is fresh, even if the template is older than dirt. The delivery is executed as quickly as a cashier lane, and you get good laughs from nearly every character. Perhaps in a few months we may be seeing T-shirts or pins with 'Employee' quotes, but maybe I'm just assuming too much about my generation. Greg Coolidge's hip film may have a sugar-coated marketing scheme, but it sells and rarely disappoints. This is top-shelf lowbrow comedy, but it's a friendly experience for an autumn trip to the local movie theater. And Urban Outfitters. Just kidding.
Zack (Cook) is everybody's lovable slacker with a tattered past. He works as a lowly boxboy at Super Club, a thinly-veiled Costco warehouse store, along with his slacker buddies (Williams, Dick, George). But to every yin there is a yang - and Zack's bizarro is Vince (Shepard), a tip-top jerk who's had the delight of being Employee of the Month for nearly two years straight. There's no stopping Vince at the check-out counter, as he wins award after award with the help of trusty boxboy Jorge (Ramirez). But there's a new transfer to the store, the gorgeous Amy (Simpson), who is known for her affinity to date Employees of the Month. Zack is on the attack, and decides to win the coveted spot for Amy's heart. But that'll be hard, considering Vince's longtime streak and cunning skills. In a battle for the wits, the two duke it out for the love of Amy, contesting each other's endurance through sets of pranks and pratfalls. But will Zack stay loyal to his buddies in spite of his attraction to Amy?
Those Dane Cook fans sporting the big foam SuperFingers on their hands, be wary: gone is the comedian's trademark observational humor. That doesn't change his acting, as Cook proves to be a suitable, as well as likeable, main character and hero. Zack is just a pseudonym for Dane, as they carry on the same scruffy, slacker lifestyles with a taste for dirty jokes. He's certainly funny to watch, especially when he's paired up against Shepard or Simpson. His chemistry with Simpson is simple but adequate, as he never seems to exaggerate their romance. Dax Shepard is hysterical as the arrogant, obnoxious Vince, who serves as our antagonist to the sloppy Cook. Shepard, whose style of humor is similar to Cook's, exceeds his potential by constantly trying to upstage his opponent in every manner. Efren Ramirez fails to capture the same campy love that audiences had for his character Pedro in 'Napoleon Dynamite'. Jessica Simpson also satisfies male audiences as the love interest, but contributes little to the movie - but at least does not delve into the role as a juicy nymph in a pool of testosterone. Harland Williams, Andy Dick, and Brian George can be appreciated wholly as Zack's rowdy Super Club friends.
The comedy's tone rarely shifts thematically, but becomes stronger and more incessant as the movie winds down. Although the romance subplot wanes throughout the film, the two jokers' motivation is solid. It's no longer the drive to score a cheesy gold-plated plaque in the break room, but the battle of the Alpha and Zeta males. Cook's slacker persona and Shepard's boyish charm are striking contrasts, despite their similar comedic backgrounds. 'Employee' is their opportunity to exhibit their skills as comic leads, and take a run for the money. The slouches' pranks are the usual - mustaches and devil horns on Vince's employee picture, no biggie. But their simple shenanigans are collective for our young audiences, reckoning back high school memories that we appreciate to see in film without crossing the line. But seriously, imagine the cover girl of the year working side-by-side with you, and your archenemy is about to make a move. What would you do?
'Employee of the Month' is great passing entertainment, and a real treat to see Dane and Dax really show what they've got. It's no 'Tootsie' material, but this is worthwhile slapstick these days, and proves to be more of a generational beat than your family video pick. Good soundtrack, may I add.
