What happens in Cedar Rapids, stays in Cedar Rapids….
Miguel Arteta’s lighthearted comedy “Cedar Rapids” stars Ed Helms as the painfully naïve insurance salesman Tim Lippe. Tim is a sheltered doofus who has never ventured outside his beloved Brown Valley, Wisconsin stomping grounds. However after the death of his hotshot co-worker, Tim is called into action to go to the annual convention in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in hopes of winning the prestigious Two Diamonds Award. The Cedar Rapids insurance convention is the Disney World of the Midwest for adults. It is a bastion for unrelenting misadventures and tomfoolery and despite what seems like a tremendous opportunity for Tim and his career, the small town nitwit may unwittingly be venturing into a light that is too strong for his beady little eyes to withstand.
Upon arriving at the convention Tim meets an assorted bunch of characters who help transform the green imbecile into a more worldly-wise grown-up. Just as Brian Fantana, Champ, and Brick provided solid backup for Ron Burgundy, Tim’s entourage has its own eclectic bunch of misfits (John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, Isiah Whitlock Jr.) providing him with ample back up. John C. Reilly shines as no holds barred conference veteran Dean Ziegler whose buffoonery and laugh out loud antics leave a lasting impression long after the movie is over.
Reilly’s portrayal of “Deanzie” can best be described as a complementary blend of Todd Packer, Chazz Reinhold, and his very own Dale Doback. In a kind of dark horse comedic performance the fire engine red-headed Anne Heche more than delivers as the saucy but tasteful conference hussy Joan. And then there’s Ronald (Isiah Whitlock Jr.), whose pencil-pushing straight arrow ways make being a dork look kind of cool.
However, despite the strong and hilarious ensemble cast that Ed Helms has around him, he is unable to match up to their standards. It’s become apparent to us that unless he is playing the obnoxious, conniving, suck-up Andy Bernard, there’s just not much more in Ed Helms’ repertoire. He was the weakest link in “The Hangover”, and once again he fails to deliver the goods. We’ve seen hapless and naïve work before but instead of coming off as comical and endearing like Will Ferrell’s Buddy (Elf) and Steve Carrell’s Andy (The 40 Year-Old Virgin), Ed Helms’ Tim Lippe translates more as stupid and annoying than funny.
Despite Helms’ less than stellar performance, “Cedar Rapids” for the most part hits the right notes. It’s a refreshing bombardment of one-liners that will make this film worth watching over and over again. Don’t wait for this movie to hit HBO and Cinemax, it requires immediate viewing.
