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- Neil Middlemiss
She’s Out of My League
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Year: 2010
US Rating: Rated R for language and sexual content.
Film Length: 104 Minutes
Video: Color / 1080P High Definition 16X9 - 2.35:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, and Spanish
“Kirk: I thank you. But, I've seen what's out there and I don't think it gets any better.
Jack: When have you been out there? When have you left the apartment?
Kirk: I went out on four different dates, with three girls and that guy. I don't know what his intentions were, but it's fine. We had a great conversation. I think he was just looking for a friend.
Jack: Do you know what your problem is, Kirk?
Kirk: What?
Jack: You're a moodle.
Kirk: A moodle?
Jack: A man poodle. Girls, they wanna take you out on a walk. They wanna feed you, they wanna cuddle you, but make no mistake, no girl wants to do the moodle.”
The Film: 3.5 out of 5
Life can be hard for an insecure and inexperienced young man contending with the duel weights of being a TSA security guard and being sheltered by overbearing parents, and younger brother to a loud-mouth meathead. When Kirk, who in addition to his awkward family and less than stellar career, somehow manages to attract the attention (and affection) of a stunning beauty named Mollie, he at first is oblivious, then a tad suspicious, and then utterly overwhelmed and, as the title suggests, completely out of his league. The fun naturally comes from the inequality of the match-up, the absurdity of Kirk’s predicaments, and the towering crassness of his buddies.
Movies like She’s out of My league live and die on the quality of the comedic talent that surrounds the principle players. The assembly of sarcastic, pathetic, perpetual losers, and crass juveniles, if not well-balanced, suitably likeable, and ably immature, will dry up the well-spring of comedy faster than an underground leak. It is in that cast that ‘League’ manages to float where so many comparable tales have sunk.
As is typical, Kirk’s family is abounding with bumbling, oblivious, and at times, classless characters adept at producing moments of painfully cringe-inducing embarrassment for the more level-headed-than-he-should-be Kirk. The setting is then staged for the person that Kirk is. Disadvantaged and surrounded by obnoxiousness, he has quite the mountain to climb to meet a nice girl, let alone find the perfect one for him!
Jay Baruchel, who will appear as a similar character in Disney’s upcoming The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, is well cast as Kirk, the awkward nerd seemingly in over his head with a girl out of his league. As his loser friends brutally charge, Molly (Alice Eve) is a hard ten while Kirk barely cracks a six. So disparate are their placements on the good-looks scale, that any union between them is entirely implausible. Molly, for her part, despite being a stunning beauty, tempers her classy style and looks so that her interest in Kirk isn’t entirely ludicrous. A focus on his humor, kindness, and overly humble nature are sufficient draws for someone like Molly, who may have previously dated in the realm of the chiseled jaws, but (not unsurprisingly) found no contentment there. The calamitous crew surrounding Kirk; a coalition of self-absorbed, self-confidence lacking, and silly individuals who are more problem-causing than helpful to the inexperienced Kirk, are ably played by T.J. Miller as Stainer, Mike Vogel as Jack, and the softly rotund Nate Torrence as Devon.
Written by Sean Anders and John Morris (Sex Drive, Hot Tub Time Machine), She’s out of my League is one of the better balances of half-wit and heart. The real win here is in how you will find yourself rooting for the lovable loser Kirk. Even in the deeply awkward moment where Kirk cannot stand to meet Mollies parents – and later must admit why he could not stand to shake their hands – you might find yourself audibly edging him on to ‘come clean’. That is in part from the likeable script, but in large-part from Baruchel’s performance. And by the inevitable end, the grin is proof enough that She’s out of My League is a winning comedy.
The Video: 4 out of 5
She’s out of My Leagueis presented in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1, 1080p High Definition and enhanced for widescreen televisions with an image of good detail, clean, rich colors (richer than the typical romantic comedy), with reasonably good black levels and, is thankfully, not the victim of noticeable DNR, edge enhancement, or other willful disrespect of the look of film.
The Sound: 3.5 out of 5
The English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio may seem a little like overkill, but the frequent bouts of rock and roll from the soundtrack, sounds of an active airport, and pulse of a healthy party scene, allow the audio to flex its muscles somewhat. Dialogue is free and clear in the center channel, some moments where the subwoofer is called upon, but little by way of activity in the surrounds.
The Extras: 3.5 out of 5
Deleted Scenes with optional commentary from director Jim Field Smith (HD):Four deleted scenes, running just under three minutes, comprise of some reasonable comedic value, and could have easily remained in the film, though in the commentary the director reasonably argues for their omission.
Extended Ending (HD) (00:34):Not much to see here, just a snippet of Marlie and her vacuous boyfriend attempting to elicit some reaction from the united Mollie and Kirk.
Blooper Reel (HD) (6:20):A very funny collection of verbal mishaps, alternate lines, and onset cut ups.
Devon’s Dating Show (HD) (7:28):In character, Devon and Dylan (played by Nate Torrence and Kyle Bornheimer) offer tips on how to and not to get a girl.
Commentary by director Jim Field Smith (HD):I’ll admit, I was taken aback when listening to the audio commentary for the first time. Settling in to listen to the director of a gross-out American comedy in the vein of American Pie, and hearing a fellow Brit chat about shots, locations, performances, and approaches to getting the best laugh, was not what I was expecting, but it was weclomed. A good, easy listen, and relatively informative.
Final Thoughts
She’s out of my Leagueis far from earth-shattering in the realm of adolescent comedy, but like American Pie and Knocked Up, creates a good set of characters, with the right blend of absurd and soft, with crass and cute, and delivers enough chuckles to make it worthwhile. While certainly not in the realm of American Pie or Knocked Up (at least not as defining as those films are considered), League may just surprise you.
Overall 3.5 out of 5
Neil Middlemiss
Kernersville, NC
