Admittedly, the only reason I saw this film was that the title coincided with the Simon Pegg/Lake Bell film and I wanted to see who wore it better … but when the Netflix crowd won’t even pony up three stars, you know you’re in for a treat.
You’re not going to find candidates more impressively unprepared for manhood than Randall (writer/director Justin Chon) and Martin (co-writer Kevin Wu). Proving that Hawaii is full of just as many aimless losers as the mainland, these two are not in school and have (seemingly) chosen to do nothing with their lives. I’d call them a poor man’s Bill & Ted, but Bill & Ted were ambitious yuppie go-getters compared to these guys. So what do you do when you have no school and no money? Not much. In between hanging out at various (public) places, the two take turns riding their communal bicycle and occasionally play Dance Dance Revolution – not the actual game mind you; they have a video recording that loops and they’ve set up a homemade dance floor to match — life sort of gave them Nintendo, so they sort of made Nintendo-ade.
In the middle of another nothing day, Martin’s girlfriend Madison (Galadriel Stineman – boy, that’s a helluva name, ain’t it?) announces she’s pregnant and needs to leave, and btw, Martin, it’s over. Suddenly, Martin realizes it’s time to Man Up and prove to Madison that he can handle being a father. He can’t, of course; he can barely handle being a teen. Out of sympathy, Randall joins him, which works in that he’s now housing Martin, doesn’t work, and is even less mature than a guy whose pregnant girlfriend is certain she’s better off without him.
You might remember Justin Chon as the guy wearing only a teddy bear jockstrap in 21 & Over. He is literally willing to degrade himself on film in most any way one can imagine. In Man Up, he chooses to feign the role of a pregnant woman delivering a baby, which includes all the anguish he can muster then angrily slapping Martin while yelling “you did this to me!” Unable to consider
gainful employment, these two idiots decided manning up starts with taking Lamaze classes. Sure, one could point out how irrelevant and insignificant Lamaze training is, but it’s like getting an F student to pen his name onto an anticipated homework sheet – perhaps it’s a start.
If you’re in the right mood, there are some laughs in this film. Justin Chon doesn’t consistently understand humor, per se, but he does understand that overacting and hyperbole are common factors in making people laugh. Man Up, well, this version of Man Up is a 3 a.m. party film. Sober, alone, daytime or early evening, you’re likely going to find this film wanting in many, many ways. However, at three in the morning with a group of five or more and a remaining cache of alcoholic beverages … this Man Up might seem a freaking laugh riot; I remember first seeing Strange Brew under similar circumstances and thought, “this is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen.” Sobriety and daylight will bring you back to Earth, of course, but the ride would be fun all the same.
♪Sometimes it’s hard to be a loser
Giving all your love to none at all
You’ll have some critics
Just stick to Netflix
Don’t ever rise, you’ll never fall
Stand Up your “Man”
Give him some porn to cling to
Or a Nintendo when he
Is canned and gets so lonely
Stand up your “man”
And see this world that loves him
Beer after beer after beer in a can
Stand up your “man” ♫
Not Rated, 83 Minutes
D: Justin Chon
W: Justin Chon, Kevin Wu
Genre: Idiots
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: The inebriated
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Type A’s
♪ Parody inspired by “Stand by Your Man”
